JP7635312B2 - Closure of illuminated device - Google Patents

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/945,080, filed December 6, 2019, entitled "CLOSURE FOR ILLUMINATED DEVICE," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Many electrical or electronic systems or devices have a body or housing that encloses one or more components of the overall device. The immovable (e.g., fixed) parts of the housing may serve to protect the enclosed components from external interference or contamination and/or may isolate the enclosed components from the surrounding environment or humans (e.g., a user of the device). The movable parts of the housing, sometimes called a closure, may provide selective access to one or more aspects of the enclosed interior of the device. However, closures such as doors or lids typically only function to provide partial access. For example, doors or lids often do not add additional functionality to the system and/or do not provide a visually pleasing appearance.

In a first aspect, a closure for a device includes: a plurality of light sources; a light guide for distributing light from the plurality of light sources, the light guide having a first main surface facing a second main surface, the first main surface having a first surface treatment, and light emitted from the light guide indicating a state of the device; and a frame supporting the plurality of light sources and the light guide for selectively moving the closure vertically or horizontally relative to the device.

The implementation may include any or all of the following features: The plurality of light sources includes light emitting diodes (LEDs). At least two of the LEDs are mounted in a first row on a first side of a first circuit board. The LEDs include side-emitting LEDs. The LEDs include top-emitting LEDs. The first circuit board includes a flexible circuit board. The first circuit board includes a rigid circuit board. At least two of the LEDs are mounted on a first side of a second circuit board, further comprising an interconnect electrically coupling the first circuit board and the second circuit board at the second side of the first circuit board and the second side of the second circuit board, the first side of the first circuit board and the first side of the second circuit board facing the second side of the first circuit board and the second side of the second circuit board. The LEDs include a first set of LEDs arranged to emit light onto a first side of the light guide, the first set of LEDs mounted on the first side of the first circuit board, and a second set of LEDs arranged to emit light onto a second side of the light guide opposite the first side, the second set of LEDs mounted in a second row on the first side of the second circuit board. The closure further includes a first dowel pin extending from the frame through the first circuit board and abutting the first side of the light guide, and a second dowel pin extending from the frame through the second circuit board and abutting the second side of the light guide. The first surface treatment includes a first major surface that is a first polished surface. The second major surface has a second surface treatment different from the first surface treatment. The second surface treatment includes a second major surface that is a glossy surface. The second major surface has a second surface treatment, the second surface treatment including the second major surface being a second polished surface. The first surface treatment includes light extraction features for the first major surface. The light extraction features include dots formed on the first major surface. The dots have different sizes and further include a first gradient of dot size extending between an edge of the first major surface and a center of the first major surface. The closure further includes at least one second gradient of dot size oriented in a direction different from the direction of the first gradient of dot size. The closure further includes a diffuser disposed proximate to the second major surface of the light guide, where light from the light guide is visible through the diffuser. The diffuser is disposed at a distance greater than about 10 mm from the second major surface of the light guide. The diffuser is disposed at a distance less than about 23 mm from the second major surface of the light guide. The closure has a U-shape.

In a second aspect, the device includes a housing having an opening; a closure for selectively moving between an open position providing access to the opening and a closed position blocking access to the opening, the closure including a plurality of light sources, a light guide for distributing light from the plurality of light sources, the light guide having a first main surface opposite a second main surface, light emitted from the light guide indicating a state of the device, and a frame supporting the plurality of light sources and the light guide;

The implementation may include any or all of the following features. The plurality of light sources include light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs include a first set of LEDs arranged to emit light on a first side of the light guide, the first set of LEDs being mounted in a first row on the first side of the first circuit board, and a second set of LEDs arranged to emit light on a second side of the light guide opposite the first side, the second set of LEDs being mounted in a second row on the first side of the second circuit board. The first circuit board and the second circuit board are mounted on a frame of the closure. The closure further includes a first dowel pin extending from the frame through the first circuit board and abutting the first side of the light guide, and a second dowel pin extending from the frame through the second circuit board and abutting the second side of the light guide. The first circuit board is mounted to an inner surface of the housing, the first set of LEDs being proximate to a first side of the light guide when the closure is in a closed position. The second circuit board is mounted to a frame of the closure. The second circuit board is mounted to an inner surface of the housing, the second circuit board being proximate to a second side of the light guide when the closure is in a closed position. The closure further comprises a seal between the closure and the housing. The seal includes an air seal. The seal includes a dust seal. The seal includes an electromagnetic interference containment seal. The first major surface of the light guide has a first surface treatment. The first surface treatment includes the first major surface being a first polished surface. The second major surface has a second surface treatment different from the first surface treatment. The second surface treatment includes the second major surface being a glossy surface. The second major surface has a second surface treatment, the second surface treatment including the second major surface being a second polished surface. The first surface treatment includes light extraction features for the first major surface. The light extraction features include dots formed on the first major surface. The device further includes a first gradient of dot size extending between an edge of the first major surface and a center of the first major surface. The device further includes at least one second gradient of dot size oriented in a direction different from the direction of the first gradient of dot size. The device is an instrument for analyzing nuclear material. The device further includes a diffuser disposed proximate to the second major surface of the light guide, where light from the light guide is visible through the diffuser. The diffuser is disposed at a distance greater than about 10 mm from the second major surface of the light guide. The diffuser is disposed at a distance less than about 23 mm from the second major surface of the light guide. The closure has a U-shape.

In a third aspect, a closure for a device includes: a first set of light sources; a substrate having a first major surface opposite a second major surface, the first set of light sources being disposed adjacent to the first major surface of the substrate; a first light conductor for distributing light from the first set of light sources, the first light conductor having a first major surface opposite the second major surface, the first major surface of the first light conductor being disposed adjacent to the second major surface of the substrate; a first curved structure extending between the first set of light sources adjacent to the first major surface of the substrate and the first light conductor adjacent to the second major surface of the substrate, the first curved structure being such that light from the first light conductor indicates a state of the device; and a frame supporting the first set of light sources, the substrate, the first light conductor, and the first curved structure, the frame being for selectively moving the closure relative to the device.

The implementation may include any or all of the following features: The first curved structure includes a second light conductor. The first light conductor and the second light conductor form a continuous light conductor. The first curved structure includes a curved mirror. The closure further includes a second light conductor proximate the first major surface of the substrate, the second light conductor extending between the first set of light sources and the first curved structure. The closure further includes a second set of light sources disposed proximate the first major surface of the substrate; and a second curved structure extending between the second set of light sources proximate the first major surface of the substrate and the first light conductor proximate the second major surface of the substrate. The second curved structure includes a second light conductor. The first light conductor and the second light conductor form a continuous light conductor. The second curved structure includes a curved mirror. The closure further includes a second light conductor proximate the first major surface of the substrate, the second light conductor extending between the second set of light sources and the second curved structure. The closure further comprises a diffuser having a first major surface opposite the second major surface, the first major surface of the diffuser being disposed proximate to the second major surface of the first light guide such that light from the first light guide is visible through the diffuser. The diffuser is disposed at a distance greater than about 10 mm from the second major surface of the first light guide. The diffuser is disposed at a distance less than about 23 mm from the second major surface of the first light guide. The closure has a U-shape.

In a fourth aspect, a closure for a device includes a set of light sources; a reflector; a diffuser for distributing light from the set of light sources, where light visible through the diffuser indicates a state of the device; and a frame supporting the set of light sources, the reflector, and the diffuser, the frame having a gap between the diffuser and the reflector for selectively moving the closure relative to the device.

The implementation may include any or all of the following features: The set of light sources includes light emitting diodes (LEDs). At least two of the LEDs are mounted in a first row on a first side of a first circuit board. The LEDs include side-emitting LEDs. The LEDs include top-emitting LEDs. The first circuit board includes a flexible circuit board. The first circuit board includes a rigid circuit board. At least two of the LEDs are mounted on a first side of a second circuit board, further comprising an interconnect electrically coupling the second side of the first circuit board and the second side of the second circuit board, the first side of the first circuit board and the first side of the second circuit board facing the second side of the first circuit board and the second side of the second circuit board. The closure further includes a light guide disposed within the gap. The LEDs include a first set of LEDs proximate a first side of the light guide and a second set of LEDs proximate a second side of the light guide opposite the first side, the second set of LEDs being mounted in a second row on the first side of the second circuit board. The closure further includes a first dowel pin extending from the frame through the first circuit board and abutting the first side of the light guide and a second dowel pin extending from the frame through the second circuit board and abutting the second side of the light guide. The light guide has a first major surface and a second major surface, the first major surface having a first surface treatment. The first surface treatment includes the first major surface being a first polished surface. The second major surface has a second surface treatment different from the first surface treatment. The second surface treatment includes the second major surface being a glossy surface. The second major surface has a second surface treatment, the second surface treatment including the second major surface being a second polished surface. The first surface treatment includes light extraction features for the first major surface. The light extraction features include dots formed on the first major surface. The dots have different sizes and further include a first gradient of dot size extending between an edge of the first major surface and a center of the first major surface. The closure further includes at least one second gradient of dot size oriented in a direction different from the direction of the first gradient of dot size. The diffuser is positioned at a distance greater than about 10 mm from the second major surface of the light guide. The diffuser is positioned at a distance less than about 23 mm from the second major surface of the light guide. The closure has a U-shape.

It should be understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts, and further concepts discussed in more detail below, are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent). In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein.

Currently, an implementation of the system is shown with a closure between an open position and a closed position.

2 illustrates an implementation of the system of FIG. 1 with the closure currently in an open position.

2 illustrates an implementation of the closure of FIG. 1 when the system is in a partially assembled or disassembled state.

4 shows the implementation of closures.

4 shows the implementation of closures. 4 shows the implementation of closures. 4 shows the implementation of closures.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the device. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the device.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the device. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the device.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the device. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the device.

1 shows an implementation of an apparatus. 1 shows an implementation of an apparatus. 1 shows an implementation of an apparatus.

1 shows an implementation of an apparatus. 1 shows an implementation of an apparatus.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure.

1 shows an implementation for light uniformity. 1 shows an implementation for light uniformity.

1 shows an implementation for light uniformity. 1 shows an implementation for light uniformity.

1 illustrates an exploded view of an implementation of an interconnect for a circuit board. 1 illustrates an exploded view of an implementation of an interconnect for a circuit board.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure.

1 shows an implementation for light uniformity.

An example regarding light uniformity is given below.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure.

1 illustrates an implementation of a light guide. 1 illustrates an implementation of a light guide.

1 shows an implementation for light uniformity. 1 shows an implementation for light uniformity.

1 shows an implementation for light uniformity. 1 shows an implementation for light uniformity.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of the closure.

1 shows an exploded view of an implementation of the closure. 1 shows an exploded view of an implementation of the closure. 1 shows an exploded view of an implementation of the closure. 1 shows an exploded view of an implementation of the closure. 1 shows an exploded view of an implementation of the closure.

1 illustrates an implementation of the enclosure trim.

1 shows an implementation of a lift assembly. 1 shows an implementation of a lift assembly.

4 shows the implementation of closures.

4 shows the implementation of closures.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an implementation of a system that can be used for biological and/or chemical analysis.

32 illustrates the execution architecture of a computing device 3200 that can be used to implement aspects of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure describes systems, techniques, and/or products that facilitate improved operation of a device. An improved closure of a device can facilitate multiple functions for the device. For example, the closure can be selectively movable between an open position and a closed position to allow selective access to the internal mechanisms of the device. As another example, the closure can provide a seal against one or more substances or events, including, but not limited to, air, electromagnetic interference, or dust. As another example, the closure can provide a controllable illuminated surface that indicates the status or other operational characteristics of the device, such that, for example, a user can determine the status by glancing at the device from a distance. In some implementations, the closure can include a light source, a light guide, and a diffuser that are configured such that the closure provides an illuminated surface that features a highly uniform light. In some implementations, the closure can be an aesthetically appealing aspect of the device that enhances its visual appeal.

Examples herein refer to substrates. Substrates may refer to any material that provides at least a substantially rigid structure or a structure that retains the shape of a container in contact with it rather than taking on the shape of the container. Materials may have surfaces to which another material can be attached, including, for example, smooth supports (e.g., metal, glass, plastic, silicon, and ceramic surfaces), as well as textured and/or porous materials. Possible substrates include, but are not limited to, glass and modified or functionalized glass, plastics (including acrylics, polycarbonates, polystyrene, and copolymers of styrene and other materials, polypropylene, polyethylene, polybutylene, polyurethane, Teflon™, and the like), polysaccharides, nylon or nitrocellulose, resins, silica or silica-based materials including silicon and modified silicon, carbon, metals, inorganic glasses, fiber optic bundles, and various other polymers. Generally, substrates allow light transmission and do not appreciably fluoresce themselves.

Examples herein refer to light guides. The term light guide, sometimes referred to as a waveguide, may refer to a structure or material (e.g., a substrate) that restricts the propagation of electromagnetic radiation to one or more specific locations or promotes the propagation of electromagnetic radiation in one or more directions. For example, a light guide may guide light to a first location or in a first direction while preventing the light from propagating to a second location or in a second direction. In some implementations, the light guide is a continuous piece with a controlled surface finish. For example, the light guide may include clear cast acrylic and/or polycarbonate. Exemplary light guides are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006/0057729 (A1) or 2015/0293021 (A1), or U.S. Patent No. 8,241,573, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Examples herein relate to diffusers. A diffuser can be a semi-opaque material that helps improve the uniformity of light (e.g., light extracted from a light guide). For example, a diffuser may include a substrate of a translucent material (e.g., glass or plastic). In some implementations, the diffuser includes a pigment that diffuses or scatters light. In some implementations, the diffuser is a continuous piece with a controlled surface finish. For example, the diffuser may include acrylic (e.g., so-called sign grade acrylic). Different diffuser materials can block different amounts of light, or conversely, can transmit different amounts of light. The opacity of a material can be defined as the degree to which the material blocks light. The transmittance of a material can be defined as the percentage of light that passes through the material. Transmittance is a measure that is thickness dependent, and a given thickness of a given diffuser material can be designated as having a particular transmittance.

The examples herein refer to light emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs may be semiconductor devices (e.g., p-n junctions) that emit light in response to the flow of electrical current through the device. LEDs may emit light in one or more wavelength ranges, including but not limited to visible, ultraviolet, or infrared wavelengths.

Examples herein refer to rigid circuit boards. Rigid circuit boards may include, but are not limited to, printed circuit boards that include one or more layers of a conductive material (e.g., copper) applied to a non-conductive substrate (e.g., paper, fiberglass, insulating material).

Examples herein refer to flexible circuit boards. Flexible circuit boards may refer to flex circuits, including but not limited to electronic devices or components mounted on a flexible plastic substrate. In some implementations, the flexible substrate can be bent to an angle of at least about 90 degrees without compromising the performance of the flexible circuit board.

Examples herein refer to the presented light uniformity, which means the uniformity of the light brightness. The coefficient of variation (CV) is an example of a uniformity criterion that can be applied to the uniformity of the light brightness. Luminance is a measure of the flux emitted from or reflected by a relatively flat and uniform surface. Luminance can be defined as the luminous intensity per unit area, where luminous intensity is the output of a light source defined as the amount of luminous flux emitted in a given direction per solid angle. Luminance can be measured in units of candela per square meter (cd/ ^m2 ). CV is a measure of the variance of the measured values for a feature. In some implementations, multiple measurements of luminance may be taken across the surface of an optical element, including but not limited to a diffuser or light guide. In some implementations, an image of the surface of interest may be taken and the area of the image may be divided into smaller sub-images or tiles. The standard deviation and average of the measurements may be determined. CV may be defined as a ratio and expressed as a percentage. CV may be the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean. Using this metric, the higher the CV value, the less uniform the measurements and vice versa. CV may be analyzed for the entire surface of interest, or CV may be analyzed for various subtiles of the surface of interest. At a high level, each situation may involve taking an image and using a script to analyze the CV of various tiles in the image. This may have one or more meanings. For example, CV may be affected by the exposure settings of the camera. As another example, CV may be affected by the image resolution (e.g., pixels per millimeter of the light guide being tested). As another example, CV may be affected by the overall brightness that the luminaire is commanded to during image capture. As another example, CV may be affected by whether a tile or a full image is being analyzed. As another example, CV may be affected by the aspect ratio of the tiles, the size of the tiles, and/or whether the tiles in the analysis have overlapping or non-overlapping boundaries.

FIG. 1 illustrates an implementation of a system 100 with a closure currently between an open and closed position. The system 100 includes the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, the device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14B, and the device 1500 of FIG. 15C. 1450, the closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, the closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, the closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, the closure 2500 of FIG. 25, the closure 2600 of FIGS. 26A-26E, the lift assembly 2800, the closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or the closures 3000, 31 of FIG. 30, etc., may be used with one or more of the closures and devices described herein.

The system 100 includes a housing 102, which may be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, metal or plastic. The housing 102 may include a portion 102A and a portion 102B. An opening 104 may be provided between the portions 102A and 102B. In some implementations, the portion 102A may be considered an upper portion of the system 100. In some implementations, the portion 102B may be considered a lower portion of the system 100. Other configurations are possible. For example, the portions 102A and 102B may be arranged substantially side-by-side.

The opening 104 can be selectively opened or closed by controlling the movement and position of the closure 106 to provide access to the interior of the system 100 or prevent such access. The portion 102A can include a display 108, including, but not limited to, a touch screen, an LCD device, an LED device, or another monitor type. In some implementations, the display 108 can be used to control one or more aspects of the operation of the system 100. For example, the position and/or movement of the closure 106 can be controlled using the display 108 and/or another input control of the system 100. The portion 102A can include an air intake 110. For example, the air intake 110 can facilitate thermal conditioning (e.g., cooling and/or heating) to one or more internal components of the system 100. The closure 106 is currently shown in an intermediate position between an open position and a closed position. In some implementations, in the closed position, the edge 106A of the closure 106 may be disposed at least substantially adjacent to the edge 112 (e.g., a lower edge thereof) of the portion 102A. For example, in the closed position, the closure 106 may be at least substantially abutting the edge 112 of the portion 102A. This may enable the closure 106 to act as a containment structure for at least one undesirable substance. For example, laser light, airflow, or other contaminants may be blocked by the closure 106. In some implementations, in the open position, the edge 106A of the closure 106 may be disposed at least substantially adjacent (e.g., at least substantially flush) with the edge 114 of the portion 102B. This may enable the closure 106 to provide access to the interior of the system 100, for example, to allow a user to interact with one or more components therein. Thus, the closure 106 may be movable between an open position and a closed position, and vice versa. In some implementations, the closure 106 includes an illumination surface 116. For example, the illumination surface 116 may be driven by one or more light sources that provide light into a light guide, which may be covered by a diffuser. In some implementations, the multiple light sources of the closure 106 are arranged to blend a color gradient across the length of the illumination surface 116, as indicated by arrow 118, and across the height of the illumination surface 116, as indicated by arrow 120. The illumination in the illumination surface 116 may serve one or more functions with respect to the system 100. For example, the illumination may be controlled to indicate a current status or other operational characteristics of the system 100.

The system 100 can be used for any of a number of purposes. In some implementations, the system 100 is used in the analysis of one or more samples of material. For example, the system 100 can be a sequencer used in the analysis of nuclear material. In some implementations, the closure 106 provides access to one or more receptacles 122 for cartridges or other consumable media utilized by the system 100. For example, when the closure 106 is in an open position, a cartridge can be inserted into the receptacle 122 for the purpose of performing an analysis on a sample contained within the cartridge. The closure 106 can be moved to a closed position before and/or during the performance of an analysis on a sample contained within the cartridge or other consumable media.

2 illustrates an implementation of the system 100 of FIG. 1 in which the closure 106 is currently in an open position. The edge 106A is now at least substantially adjacent to the edge 114 of the portion 102B of the system 100. Thus, the closure 106 now provides access to the receptacle 122. The display 108 may be pivotally mounted to the portion 102A. Currently, the display 108 is shown in a position pivoted away from a vertical position. For example, this position of the display 108 may be more comfortable for a user to interact with the display 108.

3 shows an implementation of the closure 106 of FIG. 1 when the system 100 is in a partially assembled or disassembled state. Here, for purposes of illustration, some parts of the system 100 are omitted. For example, the part 102B of the housing 102 is omitted. Thus, the closure 106 is currently visible in its open position in this figure. If the part 102B of the housing 102 is present, the closure 106 may be largely obscured while in the open state. The illumination surface 116 may provide one or more gradients of light shading. Here, for example, the area 300 of the illumination surface 116 may have a first shading, the area 302 of the illumination surface 116 may have a second shading, and the area 304 of the illumination surface 116 may have a third shading. Two or more of the first, second, and third shadings may be different from each other. In some implementations, the first shade of region 300 and the second shade of region 302 may be at least substantially the same as one another. For example, the shade of regions 300 and 302 may be generally purple. In some implementations, the third shade of region 304 may be different from the shade of regions 300 and 302. For example, the third shade may be generally pink. The gradient of shade between two or more of regions 300, 302, and 304 may be at least substantially continuous. For example, this may allow for a smooth, continuous transition between two or more colors presented on the illumination surface 116. In addition to shading between various colors, there may also or instead be shading between various brightnesses. For example, in some implementations, region 300 may be generally light blue and region 302 may be generally dark yellow, with a more or less continuous shading gradient between light blue and dark yellow. In some implementations, region 300 may be a dim white color and region 302 may be a bright white color with a continuous shade between them.

FIG. 4 illustrates an implementation of a closure 400. The closure 400 may be used in conjunction with the system 100 and/or the closure 500 of FIGS. 5A-5C, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIGS. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIGS. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIGS. 10A-10B, the device 1100 of FIGS. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14B, the device 1500 of FIG. 15C, the device 1600 of FIG. 16C, the device 1700 of FIG. 17B, the device 1800 of FIG. 18C, the device 1900 of FIG. 19C, the device 200 of FIG. 20C, the device 2100 of FIG. 21C, the device 2200 of FIG. 22C, the device 2300 of FIG. 23C, the device 2400 of FIG. 24C, the device 2500 of FIG. 25C, the device 2600 of FIG. 26C, the device 2700 of FIG. 27C, the device 2800 of FIG. 28C, the device 2900 of FIG. 29C, the device 300 of FIG. 30C, the device 3100 of FIG. 31C, the device 3200 of FIG. 32C, the device 3300 of FIG. 33C, the device 3400 of FIG. 34C, the The closure 400 may be used with one or more components of the closures and devices described herein, such as the lift assembly 1450, the closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, the closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, the closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, the closure 2500 of FIG. 25, the closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, the lift assembly 2800, the closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or the closure 3000 of FIG. 30. The closure 400 includes a frame 402 and a diffuser 404 mounted to the frame 402. The closure 400 may have any of a number of different shapes. In some implementations, the closure 400 has at least a substantially U-shape. For example, the portion 400A may be at least substantially perpendicular to the portion 400B. For example, the portion 400B may be substantially perpendicular to the portion 400C. The closure 400 can be shaped to selectively cover or reveal one or more sides of a device (e.g., system 100 in FIG. 1). For example, an at least substantially U-shaped closure can selectively cover or reveal three sides of a device, e.g., when portion 400B is placed in front of the device and portions 400A and 400C are placed on respective sides of the device. In such an implementation, the closure 400 may not selectively cover or reveal the back side of the device. The closure 400 can have one or more corners. In some implementations, the corners can be more or less rounded. Here, the closure 400 has a turn 406A at the end of portion 400A distal to portion 400B. Here, the closure 400 has a turn 406B at the end of portion 400C distal to portion 400B. In some implementations, the turns 406A and 406B can be at least substantially mirror images of each other. Here, the closure 400 has a turn 408A between portions 400A and 400B. Here, the closure 400 has a turn 408B between portions 400B and 400C. In some implementations, the turns 408A and 408B can be at least substantially mirror images of each other. For example, the turns 408A and 408B can be at least substantially identical to each other.

The closure includes a light source for illuminating the diffuser 404. In some implementations, the light source includes light emitting diodes (LEDs). For example, respective strips of LEDs may be provided along the top and bottom regions of the closure 400.

5A-5C show implementations of a closure 500. The closure 500 may be used in conjunction with the system 100 and/or the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, the device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14B, the device 1500 of FIG. 15C, the device 1600 of FIG. 16C, the device 1700 of FIG. 17C, the device 1800 of FIG. 18C, the device 1900 of FIG. 19C, the device 200 of FIG. 20C, the device 2100 of FIG. 21C, the device 2200 of FIG. 22C, the device 2300 of FIG. 23C, the device 2400 of FIG. 24C, the device 2500 of FIG. 25C, the device 2600 of FIG. 26C, the device 2700 of FIG. 27C, the device 2800 of FIG. 28C, the device 2900 of FIG. 29C, the device 300 of FIG. 30C, the device 3100 of FIG. 31C, the device 3200 of FIG. 32C, the device 3300 of FIG. 33C, the device 3400 of FIG. 34C, the device 450, closure 2100 of Fig. 21A, closure 2140 of Fig. 21B, closure 2180 of Fig. 21C, closure 2500 of Fig. 25, closure 2600 of Figs. 26A-26E, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900 of Fig. 29, or closure 3000 of Fig. 30. Fig. 5A shows a cross section of closure 500. Here, the closure 500 includes a mounting frame 502, a set of LEDs 504, a set of LEDs 506, a light guide 508, a diffuser 510, a circuit board 512 for the set of LEDs 504 (e.g., the set of LEDs 504 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 512), a circuit board 514 for the set of LEDs 506 (e.g., the set of LEDs 506 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 514), and a reflector 516. The diffuser 510 is disposed proximate a major surface of the light guide 508. The circuit boards 512 and 514 may include circuit elements for the sets of LEDs 504 and 506, including, but not limited to, driver chips, connectors, and other components. The sets of LEDs 504 and 506 function to provide light for the closure 500, which is visible to a user through the diffuser 510. The light guide 508 functions to guide the light from the sets of LEDs 504 and 506. For example, the light guide 508 may have one or more glossy surfaces. For example, the glossy surfaces may facilitate total internal reflection of the light within the light guide 508. In some implementations, the face of the light guide 508 proximate the diffuser 510 may be a glossy surface. The light guide 508 may have one or more polished or other matte surfaces. For example, the matte surface may allow for extraction of the light of the light guide 508 so that it is visible to a user. In some implementations, the face of the light guide 508 opposite the face proximate the diffuser 510 may be a matte surface. The diffuser 510 may function to even out the light intensity, reduce the appearance of localized bright or dim areas, and/or otherwise improve the uniformity of the presented light. For example, it may be useful for the presented light to have a relatively high level of uniformity to avoid one or more individual light sources being visible or otherwise indicated by the light at the illumination surface, and instead provide a substantially visually smooth transition between different or identical colors from different LEDs of the set of LEDs 504 or the set of LEDs 506. The reflector 516 can function to reflect light extracted from the light guide toward the diffuser, where the light can be visible to an operator of the device. In some implementations, the reflector 516 includes a white surface. For example, having a white surface disposed between the light guide 508 and the wall 518 of the mounting frame 502 can increase the brightness of the illumination surface of the closure 500. When the reflector 516 includes a white surface, it can increase the brightness by about 50 percent compared to a metal surface. The mounting frame 502 can provide a mounting surface for the circuit boards 512 and 514. The wall 518 can provide structure and can function to contain light from the interior of the device, e.g., the system 100 in FIG. 1. The mounting frame 502 can provide one or more decorative trims. For example, the decorative trims can serve as a termination for the illumination provided by the closure 400.

One or more components of the closure 500 may be involved in ensuring that when assembled, the closure 500 meets the specifications of the design and has a specified size in one or more dimensions. In some implementations, the light guide 508 is involved in ensuring proper stack up of the closure 500. For example, this can ensure that the sets of LEDs 504 and 506 are positioned relatively close to the respective edges of the light guide 508. FIG. 5B shows an exemplary close-up view of a portion of the closure 500 including the set of LEDs 504. Here, only the edge 508A of the light guide 508 is visible, and the remaining portion of the light guide 508 is omitted in this view for clarity. For example, the set of LEDs 504 may be positioned to emit light on at least one side (e.g., the edge 508A) of the light guide 508. The circuit board 512 is mounted to the mounting frame 502. The dowel pins 520 extend from the frame 502 through the circuit board 512 toward the light guide 508. In some implementations, the distal surface 522 of the dowel pins 520 may at least substantially abut the edge 508A of the light guide 508. FIG. 5C shows an exemplary close-up view of a portion of the closure 500 including the set of LEDs 506. Here, only the edge 508B of the light guide 508 is visible, and the remainder of the light guide 508 is omitted from this view for clarity. For example, the set of LEDs 506 may be positioned to emit light at least to a side of the light guide 508 (e.g., edge 508B) separate from the LEDs 504. The circuit board 514 is mounted to the mounting frame 502. The dowel pins 524 extend from the frame 502 through the circuit board 514 toward the light guide 508. In some implementations, the distal surface 526 of the dowel pin 524 may at least substantially abut the edge 508B of the light guide 508. For example, this arrangement can ensure that the dimension of the closure 500 in the Z direction is controlled by the mounting frame 502, the circuit boards 512 and 514, the dowel pins 520 and 524, and the light guide 508. As another example, this arrangement can help ensure that the distance between the light guide 508 and the respective sets of LEDs 504 and 506 is minimized or reduced. The dowel pins 520 and 524 can be manufactured from any suitable material, including, but not limited to, metal or plastic.

The closure 500 is a closure for an apparatus (e.g., system 100 in FIG. 1 ) that includes a plurality of light sources (e.g., sets of LEDs 504 and 506); and a light guide (e.g., light guide 508) for distributing light from the plurality of light sources, the light guide having a first major surface (e.g., a surface facing wall 518) opposite a second major surface (e.g., a surface facing diffuser 510), the first major surface having a first surface treatment (e.g., a polished surface or another matte surface), the second major surface having a second major surface treatment (e.g., a polished surface or another matte surface), and the second major surface having a second major surface treatment (e.g., a polished surface or another matte surface). a light guide having a surface treatment (e.g., a glossy surface); a diffuser (e.g., diffuser 510) extending along the second major surface of the light guide, where light emitted from the light guide is visible at the diffuser to indicate a state of the device; and a frame (e.g., mounting frame 502) supporting the multiple light sources, the light guide, and the diffuser to selectively move the closure vertically or horizontally relative to the device.

Closure 500 illustrates that the LEDs of the enclosure may include a first set of LEDs (e.g., set of LEDs 504) on a first side (e.g., edge 508A) of a light guide (e.g., light guide 508) mounted on a first circuit board (e.g., circuit board 512) and a second set of LEDs (e.g., set of LEDs 506) on a second side (e.g., edge 508B) of the light guide opposite the first side and mounted in a second row on a second circuit board (e.g., circuit board 514). The closure may further include a first dowel pin (e.g., dowel pin 520) that extends from the frame 502 through the first circuit board and abuts against a first side of the light conductor, and a second dowel pin (e.g., dowel pin 524) that extends from the frame 502 through the second circuit board and abuts against a second side of the light conductor.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an implementation of a closure 600. The closure 600 may be used in conjunction with the system 100 and/or the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, the device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14B, the device 1500 of FIG. 15C, the device 1600 of FIG. 16C, the device 1700 of FIG. 17C, the device 1800 of FIG. 18C, the device 1900 of FIG. 19C, the device 200 of FIG. 20C, the device 2100 of FIG. 21C, the device 2200 of FIG. 22C, the device 2300 of FIG. 23C, the device 2400 of FIG. 24C, the device 2500 of FIG. 25C, the device 2600 of FIG. 26C, the device 2700 of FIG. 27C, the device 2800 of FIG. 28C, the device 2900 of FIG. 29C, the device 300 of FIG. 30C, the device 3100 of FIG. 31C, the device 3200 of FIG. 32C, the device 3300 of FIG. 33C, the device 3400 of FIG. The closure 600 may be used with one or more components of the closures and devices described herein, such as the lift assembly 1450, the closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, the closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, the closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, the closure 2500 of FIG. 25, the closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, the lift assembly 2800, the closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or the closure 3000 of FIG. 30. The closure 600 includes a frame wall 602, a top trim 604, a bottom frame 606, a light guide 608, a diffuser 610, a circuit board 612, and LEDs 614 (e.g., the LEDs 614 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 612). The diffuser 610 is disposed proximate a major surface of the light guide 608. One or more of the components of the closure 600 may be at least substantially the same as corresponding parts described elsewhere herein. The LEDs 614 are partially obscured by the light guide 608 and the diffuser 610 and are therefore partially shown in phantom. The LEDs 614 may be arranged in a line on the circuit board 612. The closure 600 may provide improved illumination at the diffuser 610. In some implementations, the arrangement of the LEDs 614, the light guide 608, and the diffuser 610 increases the uniformity of the light.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an implementation of a closure 700. The closure 700 may be used in conjunction with the system 100 and/or the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, the device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14B, the device 1500 of FIG. 15C, the device 1600 of FIG. 16C, the device 1700 of FIG. 17C, the device 1800 of FIG. 18C, the device 1900 of FIG. 19C, the device 200 of FIG. 20C, the device 2100 of FIG. 21C, the device 2200 of FIG. 22C, the device 2300 of FIG. 23C, the device 2400 of FIG. 24C, the device 2500 of FIG. 25C, the device 2600 of FIG. 26C, the device 2700 of FIG. 27C, the device 2800 of FIG. 28C, the device 2900 of FIG. 29C, the device 300 of FIG. 30C, the device 3100 of FIG. 31C, the device 3200 of FIG. 32C, the device 3300 of FIG. 33C, the device 3400 of FIG. 21B, closure 2180, closure 2500, closure 2600, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900, or closure 3000. Closure 700 includes a frame wall 702, trim 704, diffuser 706, light guide 708, circuit board 710, and set of LEDs 712 (e.g., set of LEDs 712 may be mounted in a row on one side of circuit board 710). Diffuser 706 is disposed proximate a major surface of light guide 708. One or more of the components of closure 700 may be at least substantially the same as corresponding parts described elsewhere herein. In some implementations, the trim 704 can be considered the top trim of the closure 700. In some implementations, the trim 704 can be welded to the frame wall 702. In some implementations, the trim 704 can be integrally formed with the frame wall 702, for example, via a single casting or through machining. In some implementations, the frame wall 702 can be considered the back frame of the closure 700. In some implementations, the trim 704 can be a cast piece. For example, the trim 704 can be made from aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

8A-8B show cross-sectional views of an implementation of device 800. For clarity, only a portion of device 800 is shown in the figures. Device 800 may be used in conjunction with system 100 and/or closure 400 of FIG. 4, closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, closure 600 of FIG. 6, closure 700 of FIG. 7, device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, device 1200 of FIG. 12B, device 1300 of FIG. 13, closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, closure 1500 of FIG. 15B, closure 1600 of FIG. 16C, closure 1700 of FIG. 17B, closure 1800 of FIG. 18C, closure 1900 of FIG. 19C, closure 200 of FIG. 20C, closure 2100 of FIG. 21C, closure 2200 of FIG. 22C, closure 2300 of FIG. 23C, closure 2400 of FIG. 24C, closure 2500 of FIG. 25C, closure 2600 of FIG. 26C, closure 2700 of FIG. 27C, closure 2800 of FIG. 28C, closure 2900 of FIG. 29C, closure 300 of FIG. 30C, closure 3100 of FIG. 31C, closure 3200 of FIG. 32C, closure 3300 of FIG. 33C, closure 3400 of FIG. 34C, closure 350 of FIG. 450, closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, closure 2500 of FIG. 25, closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or closure 3000 of FIG. 30. Apparatus 800 comprises an inner wall 802, an outer wall 804 including portions 804A and 804B, an opening 806 formed between portions 804A and 804B of outer wall 804, and closure 808. Closure 808 may be used in one or more of the other examples described elsewhere herein. Closure 808 comprises a lift 810 and a light guide 812 mounted to lift 810. The closure 808 can be moved between two or more different positions by a lift 810, such as an open position (e.g., FIG. 8A) and a closed position (e.g., FIG. 8B). That is, in the open position, the closure 808 can allow a user to access the interior of the device 800 through the opening 806. In the closed position, the closure 808 can prevent access to the interior of the device 800. In the closed position, the closure 808 can also serve one or more other functions. For example, the closure 808 can serve as a containment shield in the closed position. For example, the closure 808 can provide a status indication by illumination in a light guide 812 in the closed position.

One or more circuit boards may be included in the device 800. In some implementations, the circuit board 814 and the circuit board 816 are mounted on the inside of the exterior wall 804. In some implementations, the inside may be defined by the direction in which a person operating the device 800 is expected to view the closure 808 through the opening 806 or to use the internal components of the device 800 by accessing through the opening 806. For example, the circuit board 814 may be mounted at least substantially parallel to the portion 804B of the exterior wall 804. For example, the circuit board 816 may be mounted at least substantially perpendicular to the portion 804A of the exterior wall 804. The set of LEDs 818 may be mounted on the circuit board 814 (e.g., the set of LEDs 818 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 814). The set of LEDs 820 may be mounted on the circuit board 816 (e.g., the set of LEDs 820 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 816). In some implementations, the sets of LEDs 818 and 820 may each be top-emitting LEDs. In some implementations, the top-emitting light from the LEDs 818 may be redirected towards a vertical light guide through the use of a redirecting mechanism 813. The redirecting mechanism 813 may be a curved mechanism in the light guide 812, such as to maintain total internal reflection around a right-angle curve or it may be a right-angle mirror. The sets of LEDs 818 and 820 may each be configured to provide light to the light guide 812 at least when the closure 808 is in a closed position. FIG. 8B shows the closure 808 in a closed position covering the opening 806. Here, the set of LEDs 818 is positioned proximate to the light guide 812, so that light from the LEDs 818 can enter the light guide 812. One or more additional light guides may also be used. Here, the light guide 822 is positioned adjacent to the set of LEDs 820. In some implementations, the light guide 822 is not mounted to the closure 808. For example, the light guide 822 may not be movable and may remain stationary with the rest of the device 800. In the closed position, light from the set of LEDs 820 may be optionally transmitted via the light guide 822 to the light guide 812. Light entering the light guide 812 may be extracted at one or more points. In some implementations, the light in the light guide 812 is extracted from the light guide 812 through the opening 806 toward the outside of the device 800. For example, this may allow a user of the device 800 to see illumination in the light guide 812 that may indicate a status or other operational characteristic of the device 800.

With respect to the closure 808, one or more seals may be provided. In some implementations, the seal 824 and the seal 826 are mounted to the outer wall 804. The seal 824 is now mounted to the portion 804B, and the seal 826 is now mounted to the portion 804A. In some implementations, the seal 828 may be provided to the light guide 812. For example, in the closed position, the seal 826 may at least substantially abut the surface of the light guide 812. As another example, in the closed position, the seal 824 may at least substantially abut the seal 828. The seals 824, 826, and 828 may contain one or more occurrences, including, but not limited to, laser light, fluid, LED light, or EMI. For example, the seal 828 may hide hot spots resulting from the LED 820. One or more of the seals 824, 826, and 828 may be at least one of an air seal, a dust seal, an LED light seal, or an electromagnetic interference containment seal.

In the current example of device 800, the sets of LEDs 818 and 820 can be considered non-movable. That is, the sets of LEDs 818 and 820 are not mounted to the closure 808 but are located in another portion of the device 800, such as the outer wall 804. Having non-movable LEDs can provide one or more advantages. For example, non-movable LEDs can provide improved EMI containment. Device 800 can be modified in one or more ways. For example, the placement of the set of LEDs 820 can be changed to reduce lighting losses for the set of LEDs 820 located at the top of the opening 806. As another example, the type of LEDs in the set of LEDs 820 can be changed to reduce robustness issues for the set of LEDs 820. As another example, the set of LEDs 818 is configured to transmit light through the gap into the light guide 812, and then the light must propagate at an angle inside the light guide 812 that is at least substantially perpendicular to the direction of entry into the light guide 812; the size of the gap and/or the material of the light guide 812 may be modified to transmit the light uniformly in such a configuration. As another example, the shape of the closure 808, for example the U-shape shown in the closure 400 in FIG. 4, may be modified based on the type of circuit used, such as a flex circuit or a rigid circuit. As another example, the control of the lighting when the closure 808 is in the process of moving between the open and closed positions may be modified, such as activating the set of LEDs 818 or deactivating the set of LEDs 818 while opening and/or closing the closure 808. As another example, the set of LEDs 820 and the circuit board 816 may be visible through the opening 806 when the closure 808 is in the open position, or may be obscured by the seals 824, 826.

9A-9B show cross-sectional views of an implementation of device 900. For clarity, only a portion of device 900 is shown in the figures. Device 900 may be used in conjunction with system 100 and/or closure 400 of FIG. 4, closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, closure 600 of FIG. 6, closure 700 of FIG. 7, device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, device 1200 of FIG. 12B, device 1300 of FIG. 13, closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, closure 1500 of FIG. 15B, closure 1600 of FIG. 16C, closure 1700 of FIG. 17B, closure 1800 of FIG. 18C, closure 1900 of FIG. 19B, closure 200 of FIG. 20C, closure 2100 of FIG. 21C, closure 2200 of FIG. 22C, closure 2300 of FIG. 23C, closure 2400 of FIG. 24C, closure 2500 of FIG. 25C, closure 2600 of FIG. 26C, closure 2700 of FIG. 27C, closure 2800 of FIG. 28C, closure 2900 of FIG. 29C, closure 300 of FIG. 30C, closure 3100 of FIG. 31C, closure 3200 of FIG. 32C, closure 3300 of FIG. 33C, closure 3400 of FIG. 34C, closure 350 of FIG. 450, closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, closure 2500 of FIG. 25, closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or closure 3000 of FIG. 30. Apparatus 900 comprises an inner wall 902, an outer wall 904 including portions 904A and 904B, an opening 906 formed between portions 904A and 904B of outer wall 904, and a closure 908. Closure 908 may be used in one or more of the other examples described elsewhere herein. Closure 908 comprises a lift 910 and a light guide 912 mounted to lift 910. The closure 908 can be moved between two or more different positions by a lift 910, such as an open position (e.g., FIG. 9A) and a closed position (e.g., FIG. 9B). That is, in the open position, the closure 908 can allow a user to access the interior of the device 900 through the opening 906. In the closed position, the closure 908 can prevent access to the interior of the device 900. In the closed position, the closure 908 can also serve one or more other functions. For example, the closure 908 can serve as a containment shield in the closed position. For example, the closure 908 can provide a status indication by illumination in a light guide 912 in the closed position.

One or more circuit boards may be included in the device 900. In some implementations, the circuit board 914 is mounted to the lift 910 and the circuit board 916 is mounted to the inside of the exterior wall 904. In some implementations, the inside may be defined by the direction in which a person operating the device 900 is expected to view the closure 908 through the opening 906 or to use the internal components of the device 900 by accessing through the opening 906. For example, the circuit board 914 may be mounted at least substantially perpendicular to at least one of the portions 904A or 904B of the exterior wall 904. For example, the circuit board 916 may be mounted at least substantially perpendicular to the portion 904A of the exterior wall 904. A set of LEDs 918 may be mounted on the circuit board 914 (e.g., the set of LEDs 918 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 914). The set of LEDs 920 may be mounted on the circuit board 916 (e.g., the set of LEDs 920 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 916). In some implementations, the sets of LEDs 918 and 920 may each be top-emitting LEDs. The sets of LEDs 918 and 920 may each be configured to provide light to the light guide 912. For example, the set of LEDs 918 may be configured to provide light to the light guide 912 both when the closure 908 is in the closed position and when the closure 908 is in the open position. For example, the set of LEDs 920 may be configured to provide light to the light guide 912 at least when the closure 908 is in the closed position. FIG. 9B shows the closure 908 in a closed position covering the opening 906. One or more additional light guides may be used. Here, the light guide 922 is disposed adjacent to the set of LEDs 920. In some implementations, the light guide 922 is not mounted to the closure 908. For example, the light guide 922 may not be movable and may remain stationary with the rest of the device 900. In the closed position, light from the set of LEDs 920 may be optionally transmitted to the light guide 912 via the light guide 922. Light entering the light guide 912 may be extracted at one or more points. In some implementations, the light in the light guide 912 is extracted from the light guide 912 through the opening 906 toward the outside of the device 900. For example, this may allow a user of the device 900 to see illumination in the light guide 912, which may indicate a status or other operational characteristics of the device 900.

With respect to the closure 908, one or more seals may be provided. In some implementations, seal 924 and seal 926 are mounted to the outer wall 904. Seal 924 is now mounted to portion 904B, and seal 926 is now mounted to portion 904A. In some implementations, seal 928 may be provided to the light guide 912. For example, in the closed position, seal 926 may at least substantially abut a surface of the light guide 912. As another example, in the closed position, seal 924 may at least substantially abut seal 928. Seals 924, 926, and 928 may contain one or more incursions, including, but not limited to, laser light, fluid, LED light, or EMI.

In the present example of the device 900, the set of LEDs 918 can be considered to be movable and the set of LEDs 920 can be considered to be non-movable. That is, the set of LEDs 918 is mounted to the closure 908 and the set of LEDs 920 is not mounted to the closure 908 but is disposed in another portion of the device 900, such as the outer wall 904. Moving the LEDs to at least the bottom of the closure 908 can provide one or more advantages. For example, the set of LEDs 918 can illuminate the light guide 912 even when the closure 908 is moving between the open and closed positions. The device 900 can be modified in one or more ways. For example, the placement of the set of LEDs 920 can be changed to reduce illumination losses for the set of LEDs 920 located at the top of the opening 906. As another example, the type of LEDs in the set of LEDs 820 can be selected to reduce robustness issues for the set of LEDs 920. As another example, the positioning of the set of LEDs 920 may be altered to reduce the effect that light from the set of LEDs 920 may be substantially blocked when the closure 908 is moved away from the closed position. As another example, the positioning of the set of LEDs 918 and/or the circuit board 914 may be altered to reduce the visibility of the set of LEDs 918 and/or the circuit board 914 through the opening 906 when the closure 908 is in the open position.

10A-10B show cross-sectional views of an implementation of device 1000. For clarity, only a portion of device 1000 is shown in the figures. The device 1000 may be used with the system 100 and/or one or more components of the closures and devices described herein, such as the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 500 of FIGS. 5A-5C, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIGS. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIGS. 9A-9B, the device 1100 of FIGS. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the closure 1450 of FIG. 14B, the closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, the closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, the closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, the closure 2500 of FIG. 25, the closure 2600 of FIGS. 26A-26E, the lift assembly 2800, the closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or the closure 3000 of FIG. 30. The device 1000 comprises an inner wall 1002, an outer wall 1004 including a portion 1004A and a portion 1004B, an opening 1006 formed between the portions 1004A and 1004B of the outer wall 1004, and a closure 1008. The closure 1008 may be used in one or more other examples described elsewhere herein. The closure 1008 includes a lift 1010 and a light guide 1012 mounted to the lift 1010. The closure 1008 may be moved between two or more different positions by the lift 1010, such as an open position (e.g., FIG. 10A) and a closed position (e.g., FIG. 10B). That is, in the open position, the closure 1008 may allow a user to access the interior of the device 1000 through the opening 1006. In the closed position, the closure 1008 may prevent access to the interior of the device 1000. In the closed position, the closure 1008 may also serve one or more other functions. For example, the closure 1008 may serve as a containment shield in the closed position. For example, the closure 1008 may provide a status indication by illumination in the light guide 1012 in the closed position.

One or more circuit boards may be included in the device 1000. In some implementations, the circuit board 1014 and the circuit board 1016 are mounted on the lift 1010. For example, the circuit board 1014 and the circuit board 1016 may each be mounted at least substantially perpendicular to at least one of the portions 1004A or 1004B of the exterior wall 1004. The set of LEDs 1018 may be mounted on the circuit board 1014 (e.g., the set of LEDs 1018 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1014). The set of LEDs 1020 may be mounted on the circuit board 1016 (e.g., the set of LEDs 1020 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1016). In some implementations, the sets of LEDs 1018 and 1020 may each be top-emitting LEDs. Each of the sets of LEDs 1018 and 1020 may be configured to provide light to the light guide 1012. For example, each of the sets of LEDs 1018 and 1020 may be configured to provide light to the light guide 1012 when the closure 1008 is in both the closed position and the open position.

10B shows the closure 1008 in a closed position covering the opening 1006. Light from each of the sets of LEDs 1018 and 1020 can enter the light guide 1012. The light that enters the light guide 1012 can be extracted at one or more points. In some implementations, the light in the light guide 1012 is extracted from the light guide 1012 through the opening 1006 and toward the outside of the device 1000. For example, this can allow a user of the device 1000 to see illumination in the light guide 1012 that may indicate a status or other operational characteristics of the device 1000.

With respect to the closure 1008, one or more seals may be provided. In some implementations, the seal 1024 and the seal 1026 are mounted to the outer wall 1004. The seal 1024 is now mounted to the portion 1004B, and the seal 1026 is now mounted to the portion 1004A. In some implementations, the seal 1028 may be provided to the light guide 1012. For example, in the closed position, the seal 1026 may at least substantially abut a surface of the trim 1030 of the closure 1008. As another example, in the closed position, the seal 1024 may at least substantially abut the seal 1028. The seals 1024, 1026, and 1028 may contain one or more incursions, including, but not limited to, laser light, fluid, LED light from the LEDs 1020 or 1018, or EMI.

In the current example of the device 1000, the sets of LEDs 1018 and 1020 can be considered to be mobile. That is, the sets of LEDs 1018 and 1020 are each mounted to the closure 1008. Having mobile LEDs can provide one or more advantages. For example, the sets of LEDs 1018 and 1020 can each illuminate the light guide 1012 as the closure 1008 moves between the open and closed positions. Having LEDs coupled to the closure 1008 can improve the uniformity and reliability of the illumination. Having LEDs coupled to the closure 1008 can allow the closure 1008 to be constructed as a single field replaceable unit, which can provide maintenance advantages. For example, during field maintenance operations, having all LEDs coupled to the closure 1008 as a single replaceable unit can help ensure that all LEDs in the device 1000 utilize LEDs with similar light output by selecting LEDs with a substantially similar color profile when constructing the single replaceable unit. Such a single replaceable unit can make the color of the unit more uniform without the need to match the light output between the first set of LEDs (e.g., if already installed in portion 1004A or 1004B) and the second set of LEDs.

Figures 11A-11C show implementations for device 1100. Figure 11A shows an example of a flex circuit 1101 (e.g., a flexible circuit board) that can be used in device 1100. Figure 11B shows a cross-sectional view of device 1100 with side-emitting LEDs. Figure 11C shows a cross-sectional view of device 1100 with top-emitting LEDs. For clarity, only a portion of device 1100 is shown in the figures. The device 1100 may be used with the system 100 and/or one or more components of the closures and devices described herein, such as the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 500 of FIGS. 5A-5C, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIGS. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIGS. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIGS. 10B-10C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the closure 1450 of FIG. 14B, the closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, the closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, the closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, the closure 2500 of FIG. 25, the closure 2600 of FIGS. 26A-26E, the lift assembly 2800, the closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or the closure 3000 of FIG. 30. The device 1100 comprises an inner wall 1102, an outer wall 1104 including portions 1104A and 1104B, an opening 1106 formed between portions 1104A and 1104B of the outer wall 1104, and a closure 1108. The closure 1108 may be used in one or more other examples described elsewhere herein. The closure 1108 comprises a lift 1110 and a light guide 1112 (FIG. 11B) mounted to the lift 1110 or a light guide 1112' (FIG. 11C) mounted to the lift 1110. Here, the light guide 1112 has an end surface that is at least substantially perpendicular to its major surface, and the light guide 1112' has an end surface that is not perpendicular to its major surface. The closure 1108 can be moved by the lift 1110 between two or more different positions, such as an open position (not shown) in which the closure 1108 is away from the opening 1106, and a closed position (FIGS. 11B-11C) in which the closure 1108 at least substantially covers the opening 1106. That is, in the open position, the closure 1108 can allow a user to access the interior of the device 1100 through the opening 1106. In the closed position, the closure 1108 can prevent access to the interior of the device 1100. In the closed position, the closure 1108 can also perform one or more other functions. For example, the closure 1108 can function as a containment shield in the closed position. For example, the closure 1108 can provide a status indication by illumination in the light guide 1112 or 1112' in the closed position.

One or more circuit boards may be included in the device 1100. In some implementations, the circuit board 1114 and the circuit board 1116 are mounted on the lift 1110. For example, the circuit boards 1114 and 1116 may be used in the light guide 1112. For example, the circuit boards 1114 and 1116 may each be mounted at least substantially parallel to the light guide 1112. The set of LEDs 1118 may be mounted on the circuit board 1114 (e.g., the set of LEDs 1118 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1114). The set of LEDs 1120 may be mounted on the circuit board 1116 (e.g., the set of LEDs 1120 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1116). The sets of LEDs 1118 and 1120 may be used in the light guide 1112, for example. In some implementations, the sets of LEDs 1118 and 1120 may each be side-emitting LEDs. The sets of LEDs 1118 and 1120 may each be configured to provide light to the light guide 1112. For example, the sets of LEDs 1118 and 1120 may each be configured to provide light to the light guide 1112 when the closure 1108 is in both a closed position and an open position. The circuit boards 1114 and/or 1116 may be rigid circuit boards or may be flexible circuit boards, such as the flex circuit 1101.

In some implementations, the circuit board 1114' and the circuit board 1116' are mounted on the lift 1110. For example, the circuit boards 1114' and 1116' can be used in the light guide 1112'. For example, the circuit boards 1114' and 1116' can each be mounted at least substantially parallel to the light guide 1112'. The set of LEDs 1118' can be mounted on the circuit board 1114' (e.g., the set of LEDs 1118' can be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1114'). The set of LEDs 1120' can be mounted on the circuit board 1116' (e.g., the set of LEDs 1120' can be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1116'). The sets of LEDs 1118' and 1120' can be used in the light guide 1112', for example. In some implementations, the sets of LEDs 1118' and 1120' may each be top-emitting LEDs. The sets of LEDs 1118' and 1120' may each be configured to provide light to the light guide 1112'. For example, the sets of LEDs 1118' and 1120' may each be configured to provide light to the light guide 1112' when the closure 1108 is in both a closed position and an open position. The circuit boards 1114' and/or 1116' may be rigid circuit boards or may be flexible circuit boards, such as the flex circuit 1101.

Light entering the light guide 1112 or 1112' may be extracted at one or more points. In some implementations, light from the light guide 1112 or 1112' is extracted from the light guide 1112 or 1112' through an opening 1106 and out of the device 1100. For example, this may allow a user of the device 1100 to see illumination in the light guide 1112 or 1112' that may indicate a status or other operational characteristic of the device 1100.

Flex circuit 1101 can be used to mount one or more of circuit boards 1114, 1114', 1116, or 1116'. For example, LEDs 1122 of flex circuit 1101 can be mounted in a row on one side of flex circuit 1101 and function as set of LEDs 1118, 1118', 1120, or 1120'. Flex circuit 1101 can include a flexible substrate 1126 on which LEDs 1122 are mounted.

The use of side-emitting LEDs (e.g., set of LEDs 1118 or 1120) can provide advantages. For example, the flex circuit 1101 may be mounted to either the lift 1110 or the light guide 1112. As another example, the flex circuit 1101 can achieve a relatively high density of LEDs 1122, for example, by a hot bar solder bonding method. As another example, the flex circuit 1101 can accommodate curved mounting configurations, including but not limited to the closure 400 in FIG. 4 (e.g., U-shaped).

12A-12B show implementations for device 1200. FIG. 12A shows an example of a rigid circuit board 1201 that can be used in device 1200. FIG. 12B shows a cross-sectional view of device 1200 with top-emitting LEDs. For clarity, only a portion of device 1200 is shown in the figures. Device 1200 may be used in conjunction with system 100 and/or closure 400 of FIG. 4, closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, closure 600 of FIG. 6, closure 700 of FIG. 7, device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, device 1000 of FIG. 10B-10C, device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, device 1300 of FIG. 13, closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, closure 1400 of FIG. 14B, closure 1400 of FIG. 14C ... 1450, closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, closure 2500 of FIG. 25, closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or closure 3000 of FIG. 30. Apparatus 1200 comprises inner wall 1202, outer wall 1204 including portions 1204A and 1204B, opening 1206 formed between portions 1204A and 1204B of outer wall 1204, and closure 1208. Closure 1208 may be used in one or more of the other examples described elsewhere herein. Closure 1208 comprises lift 1210 and light guide 1212 mounted to lift 1210. Here, the light guide 1212 has an end surface that is at least substantially perpendicular to its main surface. The closure 1208 can be moved by the lift 1210 between two or more different positions, such as an open position (not shown) in which the closure 1208 is away from the opening 1206, and a closed position (FIG. 12B) in which the closure 1208 at least substantially covers the opening 1206. That is, in the open position, the closure 1208 can allow a user to access the interior of the device 1200 through the opening 1206. In the closed position, the closure 1208 can prevent access to the interior of the device 1200. In the closed position, the closure 1208 can also perform one or more other functions. For example, the closure 1208 can function as a containment shield in the closed position. For example, the closure 1208 can provide a status indication by illumination in the light guide 1212 in the closed position.

One or more circuit boards may be included in the device 1200. In some implementations, the circuit board 1214 and the circuit board 1216 are mounted on the lift 1210. For example, the circuit board 1214 and the circuit board 1216 may each be mounted at least substantially perpendicular to the light guide 1212. The set of LEDs 1218 may be mounted on the circuit board 1214 (e.g., the set of LEDs 1218 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1214). The set of LEDs 1220 may be mounted on the circuit board 1216 (e.g., the set of LEDs 1220 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1216). In some implementations, the sets of LEDs 1218 and 1220 may each be top-emitting LEDs. The sets of LEDs 1218 and 1220 may each be configured to provide light to the light guide 1212. For example, LED sets 1218 and 1220 may each be configured to provide light to light guide 1212 when closure 1208 is in both the closed and open positions.

Light entering the light guide 1212 can be extracted at one or more points. In some implementations, the light in the light guide 1212 is extracted from the light guide 1212 through an opening 1206 toward the outside of the device 1200. For example, this can allow a user of the device 1200 to see illumination in the light guide 1212 that may indicate a status or other operational characteristic of the device 1200.

The rigid circuit board 1201 can be used to mount one or more of the circuit boards 1214 and 1216. For example, the LED 1222 of the rigid circuit board 1201 can serve as the set of LEDs 1218 or 1220. The rigid circuit board 1201 can include a rigid substrate 1226 on which the LEDs 1222 are mounted. In the current example, the circuit board 1216 is biased toward the inner wall 1202, and the circuit board 1214 is biased away from the inner wall 1202. In some implementations, one or more of the circuit boards 1214 and 1216 can have different biased positions or can have non-biased positions. For example, the circuit boards 1214 and 1216 can each be biased toward the inner wall 1202.

The use of top-emitting LEDs (e.g., set of LEDs 1218 or 1220) can provide advantages. For example, the LEDs can emit light in a major direction of travel within the light guide 1212 (e.g., along a major length defined by opposing major surfaces). As another example, a design may be made that allows for a larger tolerance for geometric misalignment between the set of LEDs 1218 or 1220 and the light guide 1212. As another example, top-emitting LEDs may be more common among manufacturers and, as a result, less expensive. As another example, top-emitting LEDs may be more efficient than side-emitting LEDs.

The use of a rigid circuit board (e.g., rigid circuit board 1201) can provide advantages. For example, a rigid circuit board can facilitate a more robust attachment to the lift 1210, such as by not requiring any adhesives that may be used with flexible circuit boards. As another example, the design may be less subject to current transport capacity limitations than a flex circuit design.

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of device 1300. For clarity, only a portion of device 1300 is shown in the figure. Device 1300 may be used in conjunction with system 100 and/or closure 400 of FIG. 4, closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, closure 600 of FIG. 6, closure 700 of FIG. 7, device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, device 1000 of FIG. 10B-10C, device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, device 1200 of FIG. 12B, closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, closure 1400 of FIG. 14B, closure 1400 of FIG. 14C, closure 1400 of FIG. 14D, closure 1400 of FIG. 14E, closure 1400 of FIG. 14F, closure 1400 of FIG. 14G, closure 1400 of FIG. 14H ... 1450, closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, closure 2500 of FIG. 25, closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or closure 3000 of FIG. 30. Apparatus 1300 comprises an inner wall 1302, an outer wall 1304 including portions 1304A and 1304B, an opening 1306 formed between portions 1304A and 1304B of outer wall 1304, and a closure 1308. Closure 1308 may be used in one or more of the other examples described elsewhere herein. Closure 1308 comprises a lift 1310 and a light guide 1312 mounted to lift 1310. Here, the light guide 1312 has an end surface that is at least substantially perpendicular to its major surface. The closure 1308 can be moved by the lift 1310 between two or more different positions, such as an open position (not shown) in which the closure 1308 is away from the opening 1306 and a closed position (e.g., as shown) in which the closure 1308 at least substantially covers the opening 1306. That is, in the open position, the closure 1308 can allow a user to access the interior of the device 1300 through the opening 1306. In the closed position, the closure 1308 can prevent access to the interior of the device 1300. In the closed position, the closure 1308 can also serve one or more other functions. For example, the closure 1308 can serve as a containment shield in the closed position. For example, the closure 1308 can provide a status indication by illumination in the light guide 1312 in the closed position.

One or more circuit boards may be included in the device 1300. In some implementations, the circuit board 1314 and the circuit board 1316 are mounted on the lift 1310. For example, the circuit board 1314 and the circuit board 1316 may each be mounted at least substantially parallel to the light guide 1312. The set of LEDs 1318 may be mounted on the circuit board 1314 (e.g., the set of LEDs 1318 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1314). The set of LEDs 1320 may be mounted on the circuit board 1316 (e.g., the set of LEDs 1320 may be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 1316). In some implementations, the sets of LEDs 1318 and 1320 may each be side-emitting LEDs. In other implementations, the sets of LEDs 1318 and 1320 may each be top-emitting LEDs. Each of the sets of LEDs 1318 and 1320 may be configured to provide light to the light guide 1312. For example, each of the sets of LEDs 1318 and 1320 may be configured to provide light to the light guide 1312 when the closure 1308 is in both the closed position and the open position.

Here, the curved structure 1322 is configured to transmit light between the set of LEDs 1318 and the light guide 1312, and the curved structure 1324 is configured to transmit light between the set of LEDs 1320 and the light guide 1312. The curved structures 1322 and 1324 may each include a substrate capable of transmitting electromagnetic radiation, including, but not limited to, a light guide or a mirror. In some implementations, one or more additional light guides may be used. Here, the light guide 1326 is configured to transmit light between the set of LEDs 1318 and one end of the curved structure 1322, and another end of the curved structure 1322 is in contact with the light guide 1312. Here, the light guide 1328 is configured to transmit light between the set of LEDs 1320 and one end of the curved structure 1324, and another end of the curved structure 1324 is in contact with the light guide 1312. In some implementations, the light guide 1312, the curved structures 1322, 1324, and the light guides 1326, 1328 may be a single continuous light guide. In some implementations, the light guide 1312 and the curved structures 1322, 1324 may be a single continuous light guide.

Light entering the light guide 1312 can be extracted at one or more points. In some implementations, the light in the light guide 1312 is extracted from the light guide 1312 through an opening 1306 and out of the device 1300. For example, this can allow a user of the device 1300 to see illumination in the light guide 1312 that may indicate a status or other operational characteristic of the device 1300.

Figures 14A-14B show cross-sectional views of implementations of closures 1400 and 1450. Each of the closures 1400 and 1450 may be used with the system 100 and/or one or more components of the closures and devices described herein, such as the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIG. 10B-10C, the device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, the closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, the closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, the closure 2500 of FIG. 25, the closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, the lift assembly 2800, the closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or the closure 3000 of FIG. 30. The closure 1400 includes a light guide 1402 that can wrap around an edge of a substrate 1404. That is, the light guide 1402 includes a main portion 1402A that includes a major surface of the light guide 1402, curved portions 1402B and 1402C where the light guide 1402 wraps around the substrate 1404, and end portions 1402D and 1402E on the side of the substrate 1404 opposite the main portion 1402A. That is, the end portion 1402D can terminate the curved portion 1402B, and the end portion 1402E can terminate the curved portion 1402C.

One or more circuit boards (not shown) may be included in the closure 1400. The circuit board may include one or more light sources (e.g., LEDs), such as top-emitting or side-emitting LEDs. In some implementations, light from the light source may be transmitted to the end 1402D, then to the curved portion 1402B, and then to the main portion 1402A. In some implementations, light from the light source may be transmitted to the end 1402E, then to the curved portion 1402C, and then to the main portion 1402A. In the main portion 1402A, light may be extracted for eventual viewing by the user. For example, a diffuser 1406 may be disposed between the user and the main portion 1402A of the light guide 1402. The diffuser 1406 is disposed proximate to a major surface of the light guide 1402.

The closure 1450 comprises a light guide 1452 and a substrate 1454. The light guide 1452 has major surfaces, one of which (e.g., the outer surface) can be designated to be viewed by an observer during use. The closure 1450 comprises curved portions 1456 and 1458 that wrap around the edge of the substrate 1454. For example, the curved portions 1456 and 1458 can each include a mirror or other substrate that transmits and/or redirects light. The closure 1450 comprises light guides 1460 and 1462 on the opposite side of the substrate 1454 from the light guide 1452. The light guide 1460 can be at least substantially abutting one end of the curved portion 1456, and another end of the curved portion 1456 can be at least substantially abutting one edge of the light guide 1452. The light guide 1462 may be at least substantially abutting one end of the curved portion 1458, and another end of the curved portion 1458 may be at least substantially abutting one edge of the light guide 1452.

One or more circuit boards (not shown) may be included in the closure 1450. The circuit board may include one or more light sources (e.g., LEDs), such as top-emitting or side-emitting LEDs. In some implementations, light from the light source may be transmitted to the light guide 1460, then to the curved portion 1456, and then to the light guide 1452. In some implementations, light from the light source may be transmitted to the light guide 1462, then to the curved portion 1458, and then to the light guide 1452. In the light guide 1452, light may be extracted for eventual viewing by the user. For example, a diffuser 1464 may be disposed between the user and the light guide 1452. The diffuser 1464 is disposed proximate to a major surface of the light guide 1452.

Providing light using either closure 1308 (FIG. 13), closure 1400 (FIG. 14A), or closure 1450 (FIG. 14B) can provide advantages. For example, light may be generated (e.g., by LEDs) initially on the non-visible (e.g., back) side of the closure, which can provide a clean design where the light source is not visible to the user. As another example, due to the distance between the light source and the light guide, the light has a relatively long distance to spread across, which can increase the uniformity of the light, thereby providing an improved appearance at the visible illumination surface (e.g., diffuser). As another example, the approach described in these examples can be particularly advantageous when the closure does not have any bends or curvatures.

15A-15B show implementations related to light uniformity. In FIG. 15A, the housing 1500 comprises an illumination surface 1502. The uniformity of the light at the illumination surface 1502 depends on one or more factors, including but not limited to the thickness of the diffuser, the spacing of the light sources (e.g., LEDs), the distance between the diffuser and the light extraction surface on the light guide, the surface treatment of the light guide, or the distance between the light sources and the light guide. Here, the illumination surface 1502 provides light with a relatively low uniformity, with a relatively high coefficient of variation (CV) for the brightness of the light at different regions of the illumination surface 1502. For example, multiple brighter spots 1504 are visible, interspersed with respective darker spots 1506. With the brighter spots 1504 and the darker spots 1506, the light at the illumination surface 1502 is considered to have a low uniformity that is likely to be detectable or noticed by a user.

In FIG. 15B, the housing 1550 includes an illumination surface 1552. The uniformity of the light at the illumination surface 1552 depends on one or more factors, including but not limited to the thickness of the diffuser, the spacing of the light sources (e.g., LEDs), the distance between the diffuser and the light extraction surface on the light guide, the surface treatment of the light guide, or the distance between the light sources and the light guide. Here, the illumination surface 1552 provides a relatively uniform light with a relatively low CV for the brightness of the light at different regions of the illumination surface 1552. For example, no brighter or darker spots are visible at the illumination surface 1552. The absence of brighter and darker spots or any other visible variation or shading gradation indicates that the light at the illumination surface 1552 has a high uniformity.

16A-16B show implementations related to light uniformity. Graph 1600 relates to light uniformity at an illumination surface as a function of light source (e.g., LED) spacing. Light uniformity is shown on the vertical axis (e.g., in terms of CV of light luminance), with larger values corresponding to worse (e.g., lower) uniformity. Spacing is shown on the horizontal axis (e.g., in millimeters (mm)). LED spacing is a measure that reflects the density of the LEDs, e.g., the shorter the spacing distance of the LEDs, the higher the density of the LEDs. Graph 1602 is presented. For example, graph 1602 may be based on five data points 1602A-1602E corresponding to different light source spacings and their respective uniformity values. It can be seen that uniformity generally worsens (i.e., CV increases) with greater light source spacing. Similarly, uniformity generally improves (i.e., CV decreases) with smaller light source spacing. Data points 1602A-1602E are based on images 1604A-1604E, respectively, and represent the maximum CV of luminance among tiles defined by the illumination plane. Here, the CV of data points 1602A-1602E is expressed as a percentage of the standard deviation of luminance relative to the mean of luminance. Data points 1602A-1602E each represent the maximum CV found among the measured tiles for each LED spacing. For example, it can be seen that of images 1604A-1604E, image 1604A has the highest uniformity and image 1604E has the lowest uniformity.

Each of the images 1604A-1604E may have the same size. For example, each of the images 1604A-1604E may have a size of approximately 300 mm by 138 mm. The uniformity analysis may be performed by defining tiles having one or more shapes and/or sizes. In some implementations, the images 1604A-1604E may be analyzed based on rectangular tiles, including but not limited to rectangular tiles having a size of approximately 35 mm by 15 mm. For example, the tile width (i.e., the size of the tile parallel to the step cut direction) may be selected based at least in part on the spacing between the light sources. In some implementations, the tile height (i.e., the size of the tile perpendicular to the step cut direction) may be selected based at least in part on the known size and shape of the light cones from the individual light sources. For example, the tile height may be large enough to capture the most luminous portion of the light cone without including too much image content from areas where the light is more uniform. For example, this can ensure that both relatively bright and dark areas are contained within a single tile, thereby maximizing contrast and ensuring a strong signal when assessing uniformity.

The location of the tiles may be defined relative to any edge of the images 1604A-1604E. For example, the tiles may be offset from the top edge of the images 1604A-1604E by about 4.5 mm. The tiles may be stepped in any direction across the image. For example, the tiles may be stepped over at least a portion of an area that is relatively closer to one or more light sources (e.g., LEDs) than another edge of the image. The tiles may be stepped using a predetermined distance increment. In some implementations, the predetermined distance increment may be about 6 mm. If the tiles are wider than the predetermined distance increment in the step direction, two or more consecutive tiles may partially overlap each other. For example, the overlap may reduce or avoid signal aliasing that may occur due to misalignment of the tiles with respect to the light source pattern. Any number of tiles may be included in the step process. For example, 40 tiles may be captured for each of the images 1604A-1604E.

The image content associated with each tile of the step-cutting process may be analyzed for its light uniformity. In some implementations, the CV may be determined for each of the tiles. In some implementations, the maximum CV value may be identified among the tiles. For example, data point 1602A reflects the maximum CV value determined for the tile of image 1604A, data point 1602B reflects the maximum CV value determined for the tile of image 1604B, data point 1602C reflects the maximum CV value determined for the tile of image 1604C, data point 1602D reflects the maximum CV value determined for the tile of image 1604D, and data point 1602E reflects the maximum CV value determined for the tile of image 1604E. Tiles of other shapes and/or sizes may be used. Other numbers of tiles per image may be captured.

In some implementations, the LED density (e.g., LED spacing) may be selected toward the left-most portion of graph 1602. For example, the LED spacing may be selected such that the CV is less than about 20%, e.g., less than about 17% or less than about 10%.

17A-17B show exploded views of an implementation of an interconnect 1700 for a circuit board. The interconnect 1700 can be used with one or more of the circuit boards described herein. The interconnect 1700 can be used with the circuit board 1702 and the circuit board 1704. The interconnect 1700 can provide an electrical coupling between the circuit board 1702 and the circuit board 1704. In some implementations, the interconnect 1700 can electrically couple the circuit board 1702 and the circuit board 1704 at the side 1702A of the circuit board 1702 and the side 1704A of the circuit board 1704. For example, the use of the interconnect 1700 can facilitate a higher density of light sources on the circuit boards 1702 and 1704. The interconnect 1700 can include an interconnect target 1706 made of a metal or another conductive material. The interconnect target 1706 facilitates electrical contact between components of the circuit boards 1702 or 1704, or another component. The circuit boards 1702 and 1704 include pins 1708 configured to contact each of the interconnect targets 1706. In some implementations, the pins 1708 include pogo pins. For example, distal ends of the pins 1708 extend to opposite sides of the circuit boards and may be compressed when the circuit boards and the interconnect 1700 are contacted. The circuit boards 1702 and 1704 include electronic components 1710, including but not limited to LEDs, whose function is facilitated by the electrical contact provided by the interconnect 1700. In some implementations, at least one of the electronic components 1710 (e.g., LEDs) may be mounted on the side 1702B of the circuit board 1702 and at least another of the electronic components 1710 may be mounted on the side 1704B of the circuit board 1704, with the sides 1702B and 1704B of the circuit board 1702 facing the sides 1702A and 1704A of the circuit board 1702 and 1704. Fasteners 1711 may be used to attach the circuit boards 1702 and 1704 and the interconnect 1700 to the frame 1712. The interconnect 1700 may facilitate more efficient use of horizontal space. For example, space that would be occupied by the size of a pin and socket type circuit board connector may instead be available as space for a light source on the circuit board.

18 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of a closure 1800. The closure 1800 may be used in conjunction with the system 100 and/or the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, the device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the device 1400 of FIG. 14B, the device 1500 of FIG. 15C, the device 1600 of FIG. 16C, the device 1700 of FIG. 17B, the device 1800 of FIG. 18C, the device 1900 of FIG. 19C, the device 200 of FIG. 20C, the device 2100 of FIG. 21C, the device 2200 of FIG. 22C, the device 2300 of FIG. 23C, the device 2400 of FIG. 24C, the device 2500 of FIG. 25C, the device 2600 of FIG. 26C, the device 2700 of FIG. 27C, the device 2800 of FIG. 28C, the device 2900 of FIG. 29C, the device 300 of FIG. 30C, the device 3100 of FIG. 31C, the device 3200 of FIG. 32C, the device 3300 of FIG. 3 21B, closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, closure 2500 of FIG. 25, closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or closure 3000 of FIG. 30. Portion 1802 can be associated with a first set of LEDs 1804 and portion 1806 can be associated with a second set of LEDs 1808. For example, portion 1802 can be configured to place the set of LEDs 1804 on a first edge of the light guide and portion 1806 can be configured to place the set of LEDs 1808 on a second edge of the light guide opposite the first edge. Interconnect 1810 serves to electrically connect two circuit boards together at portion 1802. The interconnects 1812 function to electrically connect the circuit boards to one another at portion 1806. In some implementations, such as closure 400 (e.g., U-shaped) in FIG. 4, the use of interconnects between the board segments can provide various advantages, such as, but not limited to, reduced vertical profile and/or reduced cost.

FIG. 19 illustrates an implementation related to light uniformity. The following general example relates to light transmission in a first material n _i with a boundary with a second material n _f . The light guide completely internally reflects any incident light rays that do not penetrate the critical angle at the boundary between the two materials. Light rays that penetrate the critical angle are partially reflected and partially refracted based on the refractive indices of the two materials. Light rays that are incident from a point with an angle φ _l with respect to the boundary normal that is less than the critical angle refract into material n _f at an angle φ _f . Light rays that have an angle φ _c with respect to the boundary normal (i.e., the critical angle) refract along the boundary. Light rays that have an angle φ _l′ with respect to the boundary normal that is greater than the critical angle are completely internally reflected into material n _i . In some implementations, material n _i can be the material of the light guide (e.g., acrylic) and material n _f can be the material that surrounds the light guide (e.g., air).

At least one surface of materials n _i and n _f may be treated. In some implementations, polishing may be applied to the surface. For example, polishing may be performed by 1000 grit sanding, 80 grit sanding, or sandblasting with 30 grit media. Other grit levels may be used, including greater than, less than, or between any of the above examples. Image 1900 shows an example of sanding with a 1000 grit tool. Image 1902 shows an example where no polishing has been applied. For example, image 1902 may correspond to a material with a glossy finish on its surface. Polishing the surface of the light guide allows the incident light beam to bend below the critical angle, causing a portion of the light beam to refract and exit the light guide and become visible to the operator.

FIG. 20 shows an example relating to light uniformity. Here, graph 2000 relates to the separation between the light guide and the diffuser (e.g., the distance from the light extraction surface to the visible surface of the diffuser). For example, the light extraction surface may be one of the major surfaces of the light guide. The light uniformity is shown on the vertical axis (e.g., in terms of the CV of the light brightness), with larger values corresponding to worse (e.g., lower) uniformity. The distance is shown on the horizontal axis (e.g., in millimeters (mm)). Graph 2002 is presented. For example, graph 2002 may be based on four data points corresponding to different distances of the diffuser relative to the major surface of the light guide and corresponding uniformity values. The data points represent the maximum CV of brightness among the tiles defined by the illumination plane. It can be seen that the uniformity generally worsens (i.e., the CV increases) as the distance of the diffuser relative to the major surface of the light guide decreases. Similarly, uniformity generally improves (i.e., CV decreases) as the distance of the diffuser to the major surface of the light guide increases.

In some implementations, the distance from the light extraction surface to the visible surface of the diffuser may be selected toward the right-most portion of graph 2002. For example, the distance may be selected such that the CV is less than about 9%, such as less than about 7% or less than about 6%. As another example, the separation may be greater than about 10 mm. As another example, the separation may be less than about 23 mm.

Figures 21A-21B show cross-sectional views of implementations of closures 2100, 2140, and 2180. Closures 2100, 2140, and 2180 may be used with system 100 and/or one or more components of the closures and devices described herein, such as closure 400 of FIG. 4, closure 500 of FIGS. 5A-5C, closure 600 of FIG. 6, closure 700 of FIG. 7, device 800 of FIGS. 8A-8B, device 900 of FIGS. 9A-9B, device 1000 of FIGS. 10B-10C, device 1100 of FIGS. 11B-11C, device 1200 of FIG. 12B, device 1300 of FIG. 13, closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, closure 1450 of FIG. 14B, closure 2500 of FIG. 25, closure 2600 of FIGS. 26A-26E, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or closure 3000 of FIG. 30. The closure 2100 comprises an LED 2102, a light guide 2104, a diffuser 2106, and a back frame 2108. The diffuser 2106 is disposed proximate a major surface of the light guide 2104. The LED 2102 generates light that enters the light guide 2104, and light extracted from the light guide 2104 enters the diffuser 2106 and is then visible to a user. Light ray 2110 is an example of light from the LED 2102 exiting the light guide 2104, not reflecting, and then entering the diffuser 2106. Light ray 2112 is an example of light from the LED 2102 being reflected off the back surface of the light guide 2104 (i.e., the surface further from the diffuser 2106) and then entering the diffuser 2106. The illustrated rays, including but not limited to rays 2110 and 2112, are merely illustrative examples; other rays generated by LED 2102 are not shown. Partially refracted and partially reflected rays may be shown as only refracted or only reflected for simplicity. For example, FIG. 21A does not show secondary reflections. For example, rays that refract across a material boundary typically change angle as they pass through the boundary, whereas the rays in this FIG. 21A are shown to maintain their vector as they pass through a material boundary for simplicity in conveying the principle.

The closure 2100 is an example where both the inner and outer major surfaces of the light guide 2104 have a surface treatment (e.g., are polished). The closure 2100 also has a relatively short separation between the diffuser 2106 and the light guide 2104. The closure 2100 may be associated with a relatively low light uniformity and a high CV value. For example, when the outer major surface of the light guide 2104 is polished, this allows a relatively large amount of high intensity light near the LED 2102 to be extracted from the light guide 2104 and pass immediately through the diffuser 2106 without further internal reflection.

The closure 2140 comprises an LED 2142, a light guide 2144, a diffuser 2146, and a back frame 2148. The diffuser 2146 is disposed proximate to a major surface of the light guide 2144. The LED 2142 generates light that enters the light guide 2144, and light extracted from the light guide 2144 enters the diffuser 2146 and is then visible to a user. Light ray 2150 is an example of light from the LED 2142 exiting the light guide 2144 without reflection, which may create a hot spot in the diffuser 2146 unless blocked by the frame of the closure 2140. Ray 2152 is an example of light from LED 2142 that is reflected off the front surface of light guide 2144 (i.e., the surface closer to diffuser 2146), may undergo one or more additional internal reflections, and may eventually exit light guide 2144 at another location (not shown) and enter diffuser 2146. Ray 2154 is an example of light from LED 2142 that is reflected off the back surface of light guide 2144 (i.e., the surface further from diffuser 2146), and then enters diffuser 2146. The illustrated rays, including but not limited to rays 2150, 2152, and 2154, are merely illustrative examples, and other rays generated by LED 2142 are not shown. Light rays that are partially refracted and partially reflected may be illustrated as only refracted or only reflected for simplicity. For example, FIG. 21B does not show secondary reflections. For example, a ray that is refracted across a material boundary would normally change angle as it passes through the boundary, whereas the ray in this Figure 21B is shown as maintaining its vector as it passes through the material boundary, to simply convey the principle.

The closure 2140 is an example where only the inner major surface of the light guide 2144 facing the back frame 2148 has a surface treatment (e.g., is polished). For example, the opposite major surface of the light guide 2144 facing the diffuser 2146 may have a glossy finish. The closure 2140 also has a relatively short separation between the diffuser 2146 and the light guide 2144. The closure 2140 may be associated with a higher light uniformity than the closure 2100. For example, when the outer major surface of the light guide 2144 is not polished, this allows a relatively large amount of high intensity light near the LED 2142 to be reflected toward the interior of the light guide 2144. In this manner, the high intensity light emanating from the LED 2142 may undergo further reflection within the light guide 2144 before passing through the diffuser 2146 and becoming visible to the user, thereby resulting in fewer hot spots.

The closure 2180 comprises an LED 2182, a light guide 2184, a diffuser 2186, and a back frame 2188. The diffuser 2186 is disposed proximate to a major surface of the light guide 2184. The LED 2182 generates light that enters the light guide 2184, and light extracted from the light guide 2184 enters the diffuser 2186 and is then visible to a user. Light ray 2190 is an example of light from the LED 2182 exiting the light guide 2184 without reflection, potentially creating a hot spot in the diffuser 2186 unless blocked by the frame of the closure 2180. Ray 2192 is an example of light from LED 2182 that is reflected off the front surface of light guide 2184 (i.e., the surface closer to diffuser 2186), may undergo one or more additional internal reflections, and may eventually exit light guide 2184 at another location (not shown) and enter diffuser 2186. Ray 2194 is an example of light from LED 2182 that is reflected off the back surface of light guide 2184 (i.e., the surface further from diffuser 2186), and then enters diffuser 2186. The illustrated rays, including but not limited to rays 2190, 2192, and 2194, are merely illustrative examples, and other rays generated by LED 2182 are not shown. Light rays that are partially refracted and partially reflected may be illustrated as only refracted or only reflected for simplicity. For example, FIG. 21C does not show secondary reflections. For example, a ray that is refracted across a material boundary would normally change angle as it passes through the boundary, whereas the ray in this Figure 21C is shown as maintaining its vector as it passes through the material boundary, to simply convey the principle.

Closure 2180 is an example where only the inner major surface of light guide 2184 has a surface treatment (e.g., is polished), providing additional space between light guide 2184 and diffuser 2186 as compared to closures 2100 and 2140. For example, the opposite major surface of light guide 2184 may have a glossy finish. Closure 2180 may be associated with greater light uniformity than closures 2100 and 2140. For example, this may allow the light to spread out over an even larger space before passing through diffuser 2186 and becoming visible to the user, thereby increasing uniformity.

22A-22C show implementations of closures 2200 and 2250. Light guides 2200 and 2250 may be used in conjunction with system 100 and/or closure 400 of FIG. 4, closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, closure 600 of FIG. 6, closure 700 of FIG. 7, device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, device 1200 of FIG. 12B, device 1300 of FIG. 13, closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, device 1500 of FIG. 15B, device 1600 of FIG. 16C, device 1700 of FIG. 17A, device 1800 of FIG. 18B, device 1900 of FIG. 19C, device 200 of FIG. 20C, device 2100 of FIG. 21C, device 2200 of FIG. 22C, device 2300 of FIG. 23C, device 2400 of FIG. 24A, device 2500 of FIG. 25C, device 2600 of FIG. 26C, device 2700 of FIG. 27C, device 2800 of FIG. 28C, device 2900 of FIG. 29C, device 300 of FIG. 30C, device 3100 of FIG. 31C, device 3200 of FIG. 32C, device 3300 of FIG. 34C, device 3400 of FIG. 35C, device 3500 of FIG. 36C, device 37 14B, closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, closure 2500 of FIG. 25, closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or closure 3000 of FIG. 30. Light pipe 2200 is an at least substantially rectangular substrate shown here against a darker background material 2202 for illustrative purposes, although light pipe 2200 may be any other geometric configuration, such as the U-shaped light pipe of closure 400 of FIG. 4. Light pipe 2200 may comprise a substrate that is optically transparent (e.g., a waveguide) and has a pattern 2204 applied to at least one major surface thereof. The pattern 2204 may include light extraction features on one or more surfaces of the light guide 2200 (e.g., its major surface). In some implementations, the default finish of the light guide 2200 may be a glossy surface that confines the light within the light guide 2200 (i.e., is internally reflective). The pattern 2204 may be created by forming one or more types of light extraction features on the surface of the light guide 2200. In some implementations, the pattern 2204 may form dots on the surface that extract light. For example, each dot may be a laser etched feature that penetrates the critical angle of the material and provides a greater range of incident angle light rays exiting the light guide 2200. Each dot may have any of several different shapes, including, but not limited to, circular, square, rectangular, oval, etc. Each dot may have the same size as another dot or may have a different size. In some implementations, a gradient of dot shape and/or size on one or both of the vertical or horizontal axes may be used. The pattern 2204 may be applied using any of several techniques. In some implementations, the pattern 2204 is ground into a major surface of the light guide 2200. For example, the pattern 2204 can be etched (e.g., laser etched) into the surface of the light guide 2200. In some implementations, the pattern 2204 can also or instead include light blocking dots or other features that function to block extracted light. For example, the light blocking features of the pattern 2204 can be printed (e.g., by screen printing or inkjet printing) onto the surface of the light guide 2200. As another example, the light blocking features of the pattern 2204 can be part of a film that is applied to the surface of the light guide 2200, the film including less transparent areas interspersed with more transparent areas.

The pattern 2204 in the illustrated implementation has a gradient in density of pattern features. The density gradient can be achieved by assigning different sizes to the dots or by increasing the number of dots per unit area of the surface of the light guide 2200. In some implementations, the pattern gradient (e.g., a gradient in dot size) is such that relatively more light is extracted through the light guide 2200 away from the light source (e.g., toward the center of the light guide 2200) than near the light source (e.g., at the longest edge of the light guide 2200). For example, at the edge 2206 of the light guide 2200, the pattern 2204 may have a relatively low density of dots, and in the middle region 2208 of the light guide 2200, the pattern 2204 may have a relatively high density of dots. This can provide an advantage in light uniformity. For example, in a direction perpendicular to the strip of light sources (e.g., from the edge 2206 toward the mid-region 2208), the pattern 2204 may attempt to extract relatively more light further away from the light sources where the light has traveled a given distance from the light sources and is more uniform based on the density and/or size of the dots in the pattern. As another example, in a direction parallel to the strip of light sources (e.g., along the edge 2206), the light extraction is consistently relatively low, reducing the amount of light extracted based on the density and/or size of the dots to reduce any adverse effects on the uniformity of the light from a strong light source. As the light comes into contact with these light extraction dots in the pattern 2204, the light exits the light guide, thereby reducing the total amount of available light inside the guide as the light approaches the center of the light guide 2200. The implementation shown in FIG. 22A shows one side of a light guide for illustrative purposes. In some implementations, a gradient can be projected perpendicular to the light guide with light sources at the top and bottom such that the mid-region 2208 is substantially near the center of the longitudinal axis of the light guide. Increasing the density of dots near the center of the light pipe 2200 can serve to extract a higher percentage of the light present in the light pipe, so that the light intensity extracted between the edge 2206 and the middle region 2208 can be substantially uniform, even though the total amount of light in the light pipe is decreasing toward the center of the light pipe 2200.

Although the light guide 2250 is an at least substantially rectangular substrate shown here against a darker background material 2252 for purposes of illustration, the light guide 2250 may be any other geometric configuration, such as the U-shaped light guide of the closure 400 of FIG. 4. The light guide 2250 may comprise a substrate that is optically transparent (e.g., a waveguide) and has a pattern 2254 applied to at least one major surface thereof. The pattern 2254 may include light extraction features in one or more surfaces (e.g., its major surface) of the light guide 2250. In some implementations, the default finish of the light guide 2250 may be a glossy surface that confines light within the light guide 2250 (i.e., is internally reflective). The pattern 2254 may be created by forming one or more types of light extraction features on the surface of the light guide 2250. In some implementations, the pattern 2254 may form dots on the surface that extract light. For example, each dot may be a laser etched feature that penetrates the critical angle of the material and provides a greater range of incident angle light rays exiting the light guide 2250. Each dot may have any of a number of different shapes, including, but not limited to, circular, square, rectangular, oval, etc. Each dot may have the same size as another dot or may have a different size. In some implementations, a gradient of dot shapes and/or sizes on either or both the vertical or horizontal axes may be used. The pattern 2254 may be applied using any of a number of techniques. In some implementations, the pattern 2254 is ground into a major surface of the light guide 2250. For example, the pattern 2254 may be etched (e.g., laser etched) into the surface of the light guide 2250. In some implementations, the pattern 2254 may also or instead include light blocking dots or other features that function to block extracted light. For example, the light blocking features of the pattern 2254 may be printed (e.g., by screen printing or inkjet printing) onto the surface of the light guide 2250. As another example, the light blocking features of pattern 2254 may be part of a film applied to the surface of light guide 2250, the film including less transparent areas interspersed with more transparent areas.

The pattern 2254 in the illustrated implementation has multiple gradients in density of pattern features. One or more density gradients can be achieved by assigning different sizes to the dots or by increasing the number of dots per unit area of the surface of the light guide 2250. In some implementations, the pattern gradients can be applied such that relatively more light is extracted through the light guide 2250 away from the light source (e.g., toward the center of the light guide 2250) than near the light source (e.g., at the longest edge of the light guide 2250). A first pattern gradient (e.g., a gradient in dot size) can extend between the edge 2256 of the light guide 2250 and the mid-region 2258 of the light guide 2200. A second pattern gradient (e.g., a gradient in dot size) can extend between the edge 2260 of the light guide 2250 and the edge 2262 of the light guide 2250 opposite the edge 2260. One or more of the gradients can provide an advantage in light uniformity. For example, in a direction perpendicular to the strip of light sources (e.g., from edge 2256 toward intermediate region 2258), pattern 2254 may attempt to extract relatively more light at locations further away from the light sources where the light has traveled a given distance from the light sources and is more uniform based on the density and/or size of the dots in the pattern. As another example, in a direction parallel to the strip of light sources (e.g., along edge 2256), light extraction may attempt to reduce any adverse effects on light uniformity due to strong light sources by providing a reduced dot density at each light source, thereby reducing the amount of light extracted based on the density and/or size of the dots.

23A-23B show implementations related to light uniformity. Graph 2300 relates to light uniformity and luminance, respectively, as a function of diffuser thickness. Light uniformity is shown on the left vertical axis (e.g., in terms of CV), with higher values corresponding to worse (e.g., lower) uniformity. Luminance is shown on the right vertical axis (e.g., in units of candelas per square meter (cd/ ^m2 )), with higher values corresponding to higher luminance. For example, luminance may be measured at the center of the illumination surface, which is intended to be seen by a user. Diffuser thickness is shown on the horizontal axis (e.g., in millimeters (mm)).

A graph 2302 of light uniformity and a graph 2304 of luminance are presented. For example, graphs 2302 and 2304 may each be based on six different diffuser thicknesses. It can be seen that uniformity generally improves (i.e., CV decreases) with larger diffuser thicknesses. From left to right, the data points for graphs 2302 and 2304 are based on images 2306A-2306F, respectively, from left to right. For example, it can be seen that of images 2306A-2306F, image 2306A has the lowest uniformity and image 2306F has the highest uniformity.

Regarding the effect of the diffuser on the uniformity and brightness of the light, some of the light that contacts the inner surface of the diffuser is reflected back towards the light guide. After reflecting and refracting in the light guide, the light eventually exits the diffuser in a different location than where the original light ray hit, thereby spreading the light around. The pigments in the diffuser can scatter the light so that it is redirected multiple times within the diffuser, as well as refracting the light as it enters the diffuser, which helps to spread the light. The diffuser can increase the brightness away from the light source because light that would otherwise escape the light guide near the light source (e.g., as a hot spot near the LED) is instead reflected and refracted within the system. Eventually, more of those light rays reach areas relatively far from the light source (e.g., the center of the light guide) than would occur without the diffuser. This can potentially increase the brightness in areas such as the center of the visible surface when the diffuser is present compared to when the diffuser is not present. The material of the diffuser can have any opacity and/or transmittance. In some implementations, a light transmission of about 35% to about 45% can be used. For example, the transmission can be about 38%. Using a more opaque diffuser can reduce the proportional gain in uniformity compared to the loss in brightness.

In some implementations, the thickness of the diffuser may be selected toward the right-most portion of graphs 2302 and/or 2304. For example, the thickness of the diffuser may be selected such that the CV is less than about 12%, such as less than about 10% or less than about 7%. As another example, the thickness of the diffuser may be selected such that the visible light at the diffuser has a brightness greater than about 150 millicandela or greater than about 160 millicandela.

24A-24B show implementations related to light uniformity. FIG. 25 shows a cross-sectional view of an implementation of closure 2500. Closure 2500 may be used in conjunction with system 100 and/or closure 400 of FIG. 4, closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, closure 600 of FIG. 6, closure 700 of FIG. 7, device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, device 1200 of FIG. 12B, device 1300 of FIG. 13, closure 1 of FIG. 14A, and closure 2 of FIG. 15A. 400, closure 1450 of FIG. 14B, closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, lift assembly 2800, closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or closure 3000 of FIG. 30A. Graph 2400 relates to light uniformity as a function of distance 2502 (e.g., shortest vertical distance) in closure 2500 between LED 2504 and trim edge 2506. Trim edge 2506 may be made of a non-transparent material (e.g., metal or plastic) and thus may define a viewable area of diffuser 2508 of closure 2500. Closure 2500 may include a light guide 2510. A diffuser 2508 is disposed proximate a major surface of the light guide 2510. Referring back to FIG. 24A , the uniformity of the light is shown on the vertical axis (e.g., in terms of CV), with higher values corresponding to worse (e.g., lower) uniformity. The vertical distance from the LED along the diffuser is shown on the horizontal axis in millimeters. The graph 2400 may be based on a number of data points 2402, each associated with a corresponding CV. The data points 2402 may be based on an image 2404 of the surface of the diffuser associated with the location of a single LED. For example, it can be seen that region 2406 of image 2404 has the lowest uniformity as the defined hot spot, with the defined dark spot shown proximate the LED, and region 2408 of image 2404 has the highest uniformity as the defined hot spot, with the dark spots dissipating and blending into each other as the distance from the LED increases. The CV can be calculated based on the luminance of each point along the vertical direction of FIG. 24B (e.g., the direction between 2406 and 2408) at any given distance from the LED.

In some implementations, the image 2404 can be analyzed using tiles defined to have a height (i.e., size perpendicular to the step direction) equal to the vertical dimension of the image 2404. In some implementations, the tiles can have a width (i.e., size parallel to the step direction) that is a predetermined number of pixels. For example, the tiles can have a width of 5 pixels. The tiles can be step across at least a portion of the image 2404, with or without overlapping. In the graph 2400, the vertical axis corresponds to the CV for each tile step across the image 2404. In some implementations, when performing tile step in a direction parallel to the direction of light emission, the CV can be a better metric than another metric for uniformity analysis. For example, the CV can then be a better metric than a metric based on the maximum CV among multiple tiles, such as those described above with reference to FIGS. 16A-16B.

Regarding the effect of the distance 2502 of the trim edge 2506 on the uniformity of the light, the visible uniformity can be improved by increasing the vertical length of the trim edge 2506 so that the light spreads along the visible surface of the diffuser before it becomes visible to the user. In some implementations, the distance 2502 may be constrained due to design specifications. For example, an implementation in which the closure 2500 is movable in the direction of the distance 2502 may create a constraint and encourage a reduction or minimization of the distance 2502.

Figures 26A-26E show exploded views of an implementation of closure 2600. The closure 2600 may be used with the system 100 and/or one or more components of the closures and devices described herein, such as the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 500 of FIGS. 5A-5C, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIGS. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIGS. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIGS. 10A-10B, the device 1100 of FIGS. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the closure 1450 of FIG. 14B, the closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, the closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, the closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, the closure 2500 of FIG. 25, the lift assembly 2800, the closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or the closure 3000 of FIG. 30. The closure 2600 includes a trim 2602, a frame wall 2604, a light guide 2606, a diffuser 2608, and a frame 2610. In some implementations, the trim 2602 can be considered a top trim and the frame 2610 can be considered a bottom frame. In some implementations, the trim 2602 can include cast elements. For example, the trim 2602 can be cast from aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In some implementations, the frame wall 2604 can be formed from sheet metal and perforated. For example, the frame wall 2604 can include aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In some implementations, the frame 2610 can include cast elements. For example, the frame 2610 can be cast from aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

The trim 2602 and the frame wall 2604 can be attached (e.g., by welding) to one another to form a frame 2612 (shown in another perspective view in FIG. 26C). FIG. 27 shows that the trim 2602 can be attached (e.g., by welding) to the frame wall 2604. To facilitate welding, the frame wall 2604 may be provided with one or more indentations 2700. In some implementations, the indentations 2700 are periodically spaced apart from one another. Welding can provide advantages in implementations where the z-height is constrained. For example, welding can reduce or eliminate the use of fasteners between the trim 2602 and the frame wall 2604.

26B shows that the circuit board 2614 can be mounted to the frame 2610. For example, the LEDs can be mounted in a row on one side of the circuit board 2614. In some implementations, the circuit board 2614 can comprise modular pieces of circuit board joined together by interconnects 2616. For example, straight sections of the circuit board 2614 can be joined to curved sections of the circuit board 2614 to form an overall U-shape of the circuit board 2614. A flat flex cable 2618 can be attached to the circuit board 2614. The assembly of the circuit board 2614 and the interconnects 2616 can form a single circuit board assembly. In other implementations, the circuit board 2614 can be a single flex circuit.

26C shows that the circuit board 2620 can be mounted to the frame 2612. In some implementations, the circuit board 2620 can comprise modular pieces of circuit board mated together by interconnects 2622. For example, straight sections of the circuit board 2620 can be joined to curved sections of the circuit board 2620 to form an overall U-shape of the circuit board 2620. The flat flex cables 2624 can be attached to the circuit board 2620 (e.g., one flat flex cable on each side). The assembly of the circuit board 2620 and the interconnects 2622 can form a single circuit board assembly. In other implementations, the circuit board 2620 can be a single flex circuit. The assembly of the circuit board 2620, interconnects 2622, frame 2612, and flat flex cables 2624 can be rotated into an inverted orientation, such as that shown in FIG. 26D, for assembly with other components of the closure 2600.

26D shows that the frame 2612 (e.g., the combination of the trim 2602 and frame wall 2604), the light guide 2606, the diffuser 2608, and the frame 2610 are stacked together. The flex cables 2624 may be electrically connected to the circuit board 2614 (FIG. 26B) and the flex cables 2618 (shown in FIG. 26B) may be electrically connected to the circuit board 2620 such that each flex cable 2618, 2624 may electrically and communicatively couple the circuit boards 2614, 2620 to a controller or other component for powering and/or controlling the circuit boards 2614, 2620, respectively.

FIG. 26E shows that the frame 2612 can be attached to the frame 2610 using screws 2626 to form a closure 2600 that includes a light guide 2606, a diffuser 2608, and a circuit board 2614, 2620 held together by the frames 2612, 2610. In some implementations, a mechanism may be provided to facilitate movement (e.g., sliding movement) of the closure 2600. For example, a roller datum 2628 may be mounted to the frame 2612.

The above example of an assembly can provide one or more advantages. In some implementations, a design that allows for the use of screws 2626 in the frame 2610 (e.g., the bottom, or invisible frame) can allow the trim 2602 (e.g., the top, or visible trim) to be at least substantially free of visible fasteners. For example, this can allow the trim 2602 to present a smooth cosmetic surface to the user. The above example of an assembly can be used in forming the closure 400 (FIG. 4) and/or other examples of closures described herein.

Figures 28A-28B show an implementation of the lift assembly 2800. Here, the lift assembly 2800 is configured to move any of the closures, such as, by way of example, the closure 400 of FIG. 4, the closure 500 of FIG. 5A-5C, the closure 600 of FIG. 6, the closure 700 of FIG. 7, the device 800 of FIG. 8A-8B, the device 900 of FIG. 9A-9B, the device 1000 of FIG. 10A-10B, the device 1100 of FIG. 11B-11C, the device 1200 of FIG. 12B, the device 1300 of FIG. 13, the closure 1400 of FIG. 14A, the closure 1450 of FIG. 14B, the closure 2100 of FIG. 21A, the closure 2140 of FIG. 21B, the closure 2180 of FIG. 21C, the closure 2500 of FIG. 25, the closure 2600 of FIG. 26A-26E, the closure 2900 of FIG. 29, or the closure 3000 of FIG. 30. For example, the closure can act as a movable (e.g., sliding) door of an apparatus (e.g., system 100 in FIG. 1). The lift assembly 2800 can include a motor assembly 2802 and one or more belts 2804 (shown in FIG. 28B). Shafts, pulleys, and tensioners can be used to facilitate the motor assembly 2802 moving the closure 400 vertically up and/or down in response to activation of the motor in a first direction or a second direction. That is, when the motor rotates in a first direction, a gear assembly or other motion transfer assembly can engage the one or more belts 2804 and move in a corresponding first direction such that a lift mount coupled to the one or more belts 2804 translates vertically upward in response to rotation of the motor in the first direction. Conversely, when the motor rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a gear assembly or other motion transfer assembly can engage and move the one or more belts 2804 in a corresponding second direction such that a lift mount coupled to the one or more belts 2804 translates vertically downward in response to rotation of the motor in the second direction.

29 shows an implementation of the closure 2900. The closure 2900 is shown here in cross section and includes a mounting frame 2902 including a portion 2902A and a portion 2902B, a set of LEDs 2904, a set of LEDs 2906, a light guide 2908, an opening 2910 between portions 2902A and 2902B of the mounting frame 2902, a circuit board 2912 for the set of LEDs 2904, a circuit board 2914 for the set of LEDs 2906, and a reflector 2916.

The closure 2900 can be used in one or more of the other examples described elsewhere herein. The components of the closure 2900 may then be similar or identical to the corresponding components of other closures described herein. The closure 2900 does not include a diffuser. Thus, the closure 2900 shows that any or all of the closures described herein may be implemented without a diffuser. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 400 in FIG. 4 may be implemented without the diffuser 404. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 500 in FIGS. 5A-5C may be implemented without the diffuser 510. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 600 in FIG. 6 may be implemented without the diffuser 610. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 700 in FIG. 7 may be implemented without the diffuser 706. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 1400 in FIG. 14A can be implemented without the diffuser 1406. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 1450 in FIG. 14B can be implemented without the diffuser 1464. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 2100 in FIG. 21A can be implemented without the diffuser 2106. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 2140 in FIG. 21B can be implemented without the diffuser 2146. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 2180 in FIG. 21C can be implemented without the diffuser 2186. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 2500 in FIG. 25 can be implemented without the diffuser 2508. For example, the closure 2900 shows that the closure 2600 in FIG. 26A-26E can be implemented without the diffuser 2608.

30 shows an implementation of the closure 3000. The closure 3000 is shown here in cross section and includes a mounting frame 3002 including a portion 3002A and a portion 3002B, a set of LEDs 3004, a set of LEDs 3006, an opening 3008 between portions 3002A and 3002B of the mounting frame 3002, a diffuser 3010, a circuit board 3012 for the set of LEDs 3004, a circuit board 3014 for the set of LEDs 3006, and a reflector 3016. The frame 3002 has a gap 3018 between the diffuser 3010 and the reflector 3016.

The closure 3000 can be used in one or more of the other examples described elsewhere herein. The components of the closure 3000 may then be similar or identical to the corresponding components of other closures described herein. The closure 3000 does not include any light guide. In some implementations, the sets of LEDs 3004 and 3006 can emit light into the gap 3018 of the mounting frame 3002 and illuminate the reflector 3016, which can then reflect the light towards the diffuser 3010. For example, the gap 3018 may be referred to as an air gap. Thus, the closure 3000 shows that any or all of the closures described herein may be implemented without a light guide. For example, the closure 3000 shows that the closure 500 in FIGS. 5A-5C may be implemented without the light guide 508. For example, the closure 3000 shows that the closure 600 in FIG. 6 may be implemented without the light guide 608. For example, closure 3000 indicates that closure 700 in FIG. 7 may be implemented without light guide 708. For example, closure 3000 indicates that closure 8 in FIG. 8A-8C may be implemented without light guide 812. For example, closure 3000 indicates that device 900 in FIG. 9A-9B may be implemented without light guide 912. For example, closure 3000 indicates that device 1000 in FIG. 10A-10B may be implemented without light guide 1012. For example, closure 3000 indicates that device 1100 in FIG. 11A-11C may be implemented without light guide 1112. For example, closure 3000 indicates that device 1200 in FIG. 12A-12B may be implemented without light guide 1212. For example, closure 3000 indicates that device 1300 in FIG. 13 may be implemented without light guide 1312. For example, closure 3000 shows that closure 1450 in FIG. 14B can be implemented without light conductor 1452. For example, closure 3000 shows that closure 2100 in FIG. 21A can be implemented without light conductor 2104. For example, closure 3000 shows that closure 2140 in FIG. 21B can be implemented without light conductor 2144. For example, closure 3000 shows that closure 2180 in FIG. 21C can be implemented without light conductor 2184. For example, closure 3000 shows that closure 2500 in FIG. 25 can be implemented without light conductor 2510. For example, closure 3000 shows that closure 2600 in FIG. 26A-26C can be implemented without light conductor 2606.

31 is a schematic diagram of an implementation of a system 3100 that can be used for biological and/or chemical analysis. For example, the system 3100 can be an instrument for analyzing nuclear material. The systems and/or techniques described herein can be part of the system 3100 in some implementations. The system 3100 can operate to obtain any information or data related to at least one biological and/or chemical substance. In some implementations, a carrier 3102 provides the material to be analyzed. For example, the carrier 3102 can include a cartridge and/or a flow cell, or any other component that holds the material. In some implementations, the system 3100 has a receptacle 3104 for receiving the carrier 3102 at least during the analysis. The receptacle 3104 can form an opening in a housing 3106 of the system 3100. For example, some or all of the components of the system 3100 can be present in the housing 3106.

The system 3100 may include an optical system 3108 for biological and/or chemical analysis of the material of the carrier 3102. The optical system 3108 may perform one or more optical operations, including, but not limited to, illuminating and/or imaging the material. For example, the optical system 3108 may include any or all of the systems described elsewhere herein. As another example, the optical system 3108 may perform any or all of the operations described elsewhere herein. In some implementations, the optical system 3108 may be the only system in the system 3100. In other implementations, the optical system 3108 may be combined with one or more of the thermal system 3110, the fluid system 3112, the user interface 3114, and/or the system controller 3116 in the system 3100.

The system 3100 may include a thermal system 3110 for providing thermal processing for biological and/or chemical analysis. In some implementations, the thermal system 3110 thermally conditions at least a portion of the material to be analyzed and/or the carrier 3102 and/or thermally conditions other subsystems of the system 3100. In some implementations, the thermal system 3110 may be the only system in the system 3100. In other implementations, the thermal system 3110 may be combined with one or more of the optical system 3108, the fluid system 3112, the user interface 3114, and/or the system controller 3116 in the system 3100.

The system 3100 may include a fluid system 3112 for managing one or more fluids for biological and/or chemical analysis. In some implementations, a fluid may be provided to the carrier 3102 or its material. For example, fluid may be added to and/or removed from the material of the carrier 3102. For example, the fluid system 3112 may manipulate a fluid enclosed within the carrier 3102. In some implementations, the fluid system 3112 may be the only system in the system 3100. In other implementations, the fluid system 3112 may be combined with one or more of the optical system 3108, the thermal system 3110, the user interface 3114, and/or the system controller 3116 in the system 3100.

The system 3100 includes a user interface 3114 that facilitates input and/or output related to the biological and/or chemical analysis. The user interface can be used to specify one or more parameters for operation of the system 3100 and/or for outputting results of the biological and/or chemical analysis, to name a few. For example, the user interface 3114 can include one or more display screens (e.g., touch screens), illuminated zones, keyboards, and/or pointing devices (e.g., mice or track pads). In some implementations, the user interface 3114 can be the only system in the system 3100. In other implementations, the user interface 3114 can be combined with one or more of the optical system 3108, the thermal system 3110, the fluidic system 3112, and/or the system controller 3116 in the system 3100.

The system 3100 may include a system controller 3116 that may control one or more aspects of the system 3100 for performing biological and/or chemical analysis. The system controller 3116 may control the receptacle 3104, the optical system 3108, the thermal system 3110, the fluid system 3112, and/or the user interface 3114. The system controller 3116 may include at least one processor and at least one storage medium (e.g., memory) having executable instructions for the processor. In some implementations, the system controller 3116 may be the only system in the system 3100. In other implementations, the system controller 3116 may be combined with one or more of the optical system 3108, the thermal system 3110, the fluid system 3112, and/or the user interface 3114 in the system 3100.

FIG. 32 illustrates the execution architecture of a computing device 3200 that can be used to implement aspects of the present disclosure, including any of the systems, devices, and/or techniques described herein, or any other systems, devices, and/or techniques that can be utilized in various possible embodiments.

The computing device illustrated in FIG. 32 may be used to execute the operating system, application programs, and/or software modules (including the software engine) described herein.

The computing device 3200 includes at least one processing unit 3202 (e.g., processor), such as a central processing unit (CPU) in some embodiments. A variety of processing units are available from a variety of manufacturers, e.g., Intel or Advanced Micro Devices. In this example, the computing device 3200 also includes a system memory 3204 and a system bus 3206 that couples the various system components, including the system memory 3204, to the processing unit 3202. The system bus 3206 is one of any number of types of bus structures that can be used, including, but not limited to, a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

Examples of computing devices that may be implemented using computing device 3200 include desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, mobile computing devices (such as smartphones, touchpad mobile digital devices, or other mobile devices), or other devices configured to process digital instructions.

The system memory 3204 includes read-only memory 3208 and random access memory 3210. A basic input/output system 3212, containing the basic routines that serve to transfer information within the computing device 3200, such as during start-up, may be stored in the read-only memory 3208.

Computer device 3200 also includes, in some embodiments, a secondary storage device 3214, such as a hard disk drive for storing digital data. Secondary storage device 3214 is connected to system bus 3206 by secondary storage interface 3216. Secondary storage device 3214 and its associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile and non-transitory storage of computer-readable instructions (including application programs and program modules), data structures, and other data for computer device 3200.

Although the exemplary environment described herein uses a hard disk drive as a secondary storage device, other embodiments use other types of computer-readable storage media. Examples of these other types of computer-readable storage media include a magnetic cassette, a flash memory card, a digital video disk, a Bernoulli cartridge, a compact disk read-only memory, a digital video disk read-only memory, a random access memory, or a read-only memory. Some embodiments include a non-transitory medium. For example, a computer program product may be tangibly embodied in a non-transitory storage medium. Additionally, such a computer-readable storage medium may include local storage or cloud-based storage.

A number of program modules may be stored in the secondary storage 3214 and/or the system memory 3204, including an operating system 3218, one or more application programs 3220, other program modules 3222 (such as the software engine described herein), and program data 3224. The computing device 3200 may utilize any suitable operating system and variants thereof, such as Microsoft Windows™, Google Chrome™ OS, Apple OS, Unix, or Linux™, as well as any other operating system suitable for a computing device. Other examples may include Microsoft, Google, or Apple operating systems, or any other suitable operating system used in a tablet computing device.

In some embodiments, a user provides input to the computing device 3200 via one or more input devices 3226. Examples of input devices 3226 include a keyboard 3228, a mouse 3230, a microphone 3232 (e.g., for voice input and/or other audio input), a touch sensor 3234 (such as a touchpad or touch-sensitive display), and a gesture sensor 3235 (e.g., for gesture input). In some implementations, the input device 3226 provides presence, proximity, and/or motion-based detection. In some implementations, a user can enter a home, which can trigger an input to the processing device. For example, the input device 3226 can then facilitate an automated experience for the user. Other embodiments include other input devices 3226. Input devices can be connected to the processing unit 3202 via an input/output interface 3236 coupled to the system bus 3206. These input devices 3226 can be connected by any number of input/output interfaces, such as a parallel port, a serial port, a game port, or a universal serial bus. Wireless communication between the input devices 3226 and the input/output interface 3236 is also possible, and in some possible embodiments may include infrared, BLUETOOTH® wireless technology, 802.11a/b/g/n, cellular, ultra-wideband (UWB), ZigBee, or other radio frequency communication systems, to name a few.

In this exemplary embodiment, a display device 3238, such as a monitor, liquid crystal display device, projector, or touch-sensitive display device, is also connected to the system bus 3206 via an interface, such as a video adapter 3240. In addition to the display device 3238, the computing device 3200 may also include various other peripherals (not shown), such as speakers or a printer.

The computing device 3200 can be connected to one or more networks via a network interface 3242. The network interface 3242 can provide wired and/or wireless communication. In some implementations, the network interface 3242 may include one or more antennas for transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals. When used in a local area network environment or a wide area network environment (such as the Internet), the network interface 3242 may include an Ethernet interface. Other possible embodiments use other communication devices. For example, some embodiments of the computing device 3200 include a modem for communicating over the network.

Computer device 3200 may include at least some form of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media includes any available media that can be accessed by computer device 3200. By way of example, computer-readable media may include computer-readable storage media and computer-readable communication media.

Computer-readable storage media include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any device configured to store information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, random access memory, read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk read-only memory, digital video disks or other optical storage devices, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and that can be accessed by the computer device 3200.

Computer-readable communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" refers to a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, computer-readable communication media includes wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, radio frequency, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

The computing device shown in FIG. 32 is also an example of a programmable electronic system that may include one or more such computing devices, and where multiple computing devices are included, such computing devices may be coupled together with a suitable data communications network to collectively perform various functions, methods, or operations disclosed herein.

The following examples illustrate some aspects of the subject matter of the present invention.

Example 1: A closure for a device comprising:
A plurality of light sources;
a light guide for distributing light from the plurality of light sources, the light guide having a first major surface opposite a second major surface, the first major surface having a first surface treatment, light emitted from the light guide indicating a state of the device;
a frame supporting the plurality of light sources and the light guides for selectively moving the closure vertically or horizontally relative to the apparatus;
A closure comprising:

Example 2: The closure of Example 1, wherein the plurality of light sources includes light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Example 3: A closure as described in Example 2, wherein at least two of the LEDs are mounted in a first row on a first side of a first circuit board.

Example 4: A closure as described in Example 3, wherein the LED comprises a side-emitting LED.

Example 5: A closure as described in Example 3, wherein the LED comprises a top-emitting LED.

Example 6: A closure as described in any of Examples 3 to 5, wherein the first circuit board includes a flexible circuit board.

Example 7: A closure as described in any of Examples 3 to 5, wherein the first circuit board includes a rigid circuit board.

Example 8: The closure of any of Examples 3 to 7, wherein at least two of the LEDs are mounted on a first side of the second circuit board, further comprising an interconnect electrically coupling the first circuit board and the second circuit board at a second side of the first circuit board and a second side of the second circuit board, and the first side of the first circuit board and the first side of the second circuit board face the second side of the first circuit board and the second side of the second circuit board.

Example 9: The closure of any one of Examples 3 to 7, wherein the LED is:
a first set of LEDs disposed to emit light on a first side of the light guide, the first set of LEDs being mounted to the first side of the first circuit board;
a second set of LEDs positioned to emit light onto a second side of the light guide opposite the first side, the second set of LEDs mounted in a second row on the first side of a second circuit board;
Contains closures.

Example 10: The closure of Example 9, further comprising a first dowel pin extending from the frame through the first circuit board and abutting the first side of the light conductor, and a second dowel pin extending from the frame through the second circuit board and abutting the second side of the light conductor.

Example 11: A closure as described in any of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the first surface treatment includes a first major surface that is a first polished surface.

Example 12: A closure as described in Example 11, wherein the second major surface has a second surface treatment different from the first surface treatment.

Example 13: A closure as described in Example 12, wherein the second surface treatment includes a second major surface that is a glossy surface.

Example 14: The closure of Example 11, wherein the second major surface has a second surface treatment, the second surface treatment including the second major surface being a second polished surface.

Example 15: A closure as described in any of Examples 1 to 14, wherein the first surface treatment includes a light extraction feature for the first major surface.

Example 16: A closure as described in Example 15, wherein the light extraction mechanism includes a dot formed on the first major surface.

Example 17: The closure of Example 16, wherein the dots have different sizes and further includes a first gradient of dot size extending between an edge of the first major surface and a center of the first major surface.

Example 18: The closure of Example 17, further comprising at least one second gradient of dot size oriented in a direction different from the direction of the first gradient of dot size.

Example 19: The closure of any one of Examples 1 to 18, further comprising a diffuser disposed proximate the second major surface of the light guide, wherein light from the light guide is visible through the diffuser.

Example 20: The closure of Example 19, wherein the diffuser is positioned at a distance of greater than about 10 mm from the second major surface of the light guide.

Example 21: The closure of Example 19, wherein the diffuser is positioned less than about 23 mm from the second major surface of the light guide.

Example 22: A closure according to any one of Examples 1 to 21, having a U-shape.

Example 23:
A housing having an opening;
a closure for selective movement between an open position providing access to the opening and a closed position blocking access to the opening,
Multiple light sources,
a closure comprising: a light guide for distributing light from the plurality of light sources, the light guide having a first major surface opposite a second major surface, light emitted from the light guide indicating a state of the device; and a frame supporting the plurality of light sources and the light guide;
An apparatus comprising:

Example 24: The device of Example 23, wherein the plurality of light sources includes light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Example 25: The device of example 24, wherein the LED is:
a first set of LEDs arranged to emit light onto a first side of the light guide, the first set of LEDs being mounted in a first row on the first side of a first circuit board;
a second set of LEDs positioned to emit light onto a second side of the light guide opposite the first side, the second set of LEDs mounted in a second row on the first side of a second circuit board;
13. An apparatus comprising:

Example 26: The device of Example 25, wherein the first circuit board and the second circuit board are mounted to the frame of the closure.

Example 27: The device of example 26, wherein the closure comprises:
a first dowel pin extending from the frame through the first circuit board and abutting the first side of the light guide;
a second dowel pin extending from the frame through the second circuit board and abutting the second side of the light guide;
The apparatus further comprises:

Example 28: The device of Example 25, wherein the first circuit board is mounted to an inner surface of the housing and the first set of LEDs is adjacent to the first side of the light guide when the closure is in a closed position.

Example 29: The device of Example 28, wherein the second circuit board is mounted to the frame of the closure.

Example 30: The device of Example 28, wherein the second circuit board is mounted to the inner surface of the housing and is adjacent to the second side of the light guide when the closure is in the closed position.

Example 31: The device of any of Examples 23 to 30, further comprising a seal between the closure and the housing.

Example 32: The device of Example 31, wherein the seal comprises an air seal.

Example 33: The device of Example 31, wherein the seal comprises a dust seal.

Example 34: The apparatus of example 31, wherein the seal comprises an electromagnetic interference containment seal.

Example 35: The device of any of Examples 23-34, wherein the first major surface of the light guide has a first surface treatment.

Example 36: The apparatus of Example 35, wherein the first surface treatment includes a first major surface that is a first polishing surface.

Example 37: The device of Example 35 or 36, wherein the second major surface has a second surface treatment different from the first surface treatment.

Example 38: The device of Example 37, wherein the second surface treatment includes a second major surface that is a glossy surface.

Example 39: The apparatus of Example 35 or 36, wherein the second major surface has a second surface treatment, the second surface treatment comprising a second polishing surface.

Example 40: The device of Example 35, wherein the first surface treatment includes a light extraction feature for the first major surface.

Example 41: The device of Example 40, wherein the light extraction mechanism includes dots formed on the first major surface.

Example 42: The device of Example 41, further comprising a first gradient in dot size extending between an edge of the first major surface and a center of the first major surface.

Example 43: The device of Example 42, further comprising at least one second gradient of dot size oriented in a direction different from the direction of the first gradient of dot size.

Example 44: An apparatus according to any one of Examples 23 to 43, which is an instrument for analyzing nuclear material.

Example 45: The device of any of Examples 23 to 44, further comprising a diffuser disposed proximate the second major surface of the light guide, wherein light from the light guide is visible through the diffuser.

Example 46: The apparatus of Example 45, wherein the diffuser is positioned at a distance greater than about 10 mm from the second major surface of the light guide.

Example 47: The device of Example 45, wherein the diffuser is positioned less than about 23 mm from the second major surface of the light guide.

Example 48: A device described in any of Examples 23 to 47 having a U-shape.

Example 49: A closure for a device, comprising:
a first set of light sources;
a substrate having a first major surface opposite a second major surface, the first set of light sources being disposed proximate the first major surface of the substrate;
a first light guide for distributing light from the first set of light sources, the first light guide having a first major surface opposite a second major surface, the first major surface of the first light guide being positioned proximate to the second major surface of the substrate;
a first curved structure extending between the first set of light sources proximate the first major surface of the substrate and the first light guide proximate the second major surface of the substrate, where light from the first light guide indicates a state of the device;
a frame supporting the first set of light sources, the substrate, the first light guide, and the first curved structure, the frame for selectively moving the closure relative to the apparatus;
A closure comprising:

Example 50: A closure as described in Example 49, wherein the first curved structure includes a second light guide.

Example 51: A closure as described in Example 50, wherein the first light conductor and the second light conductor form a continuous light conductor.

Example 52: The closure of Example 49, wherein the first curved structure includes a curved mirror.

Example 53: The closure of Example 49, further comprising a second light guide proximate the first major surface of the substrate, the second light guide extending between the first set of light sources and the first curved structure.

Example 54: A closure according to example 49,
a second set of light sources disposed proximate the first major surface of the substrate;
a second curved structure extending between the second set of light sources proximate the first major surface of the substrate and the first light guide proximate the second major surface of the substrate;
The closure further comprises:

Example 55: A closure as described in Example 54, wherein the second curved structure includes a second light guide.

Example 56: The closure of Example 55, wherein the first light conductor and the second light conductor form a continuous light conductor.

Example 57: The closure of Example 54, wherein the second curved structure includes a curved mirror.

Example 58: The closure of Example 54, further comprising a second light guide proximate the first major surface of the substrate, the second light guide extending between the second set of light sources and the second curved structure.

Example 59: The closure of any of Examples 49 to 58, further comprising a diffuser having a first major surface opposite the second major surface, the first major surface of the diffuser being positioned proximate to the second major surface of the first light guide, and light from the first light guide being visible through the diffuser.

Example 60: The closure of Example 59, wherein the diffuser is positioned at a distance of greater than about 10 mm from the second major surface of the first light guide.

Example 61: The closure of Example 59, wherein the diffuser is positioned less than about 23 mm from the second major surface of the first light guide.

Example 62: A closure according to any one of Examples 49 to 61, having a U-shape.

Example 63: A closure for a device, comprising:
a first set of light sources;
A reflector;
a diffuser for distributing light from the set of light sources, the light visible through the diffuser indicating a status of the device;
a frame supporting the set of light sources, the reflector, and the diffuser, the frame having a gap between the diffuser and the reflector for selectively moving the closure relative to the apparatus;
A closure comprising:

Example 64: A closure as described in Example 63, wherein the set of light sources includes light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Example 65: A closure as described in Example 64, wherein at least two of the LEDs are mounted in a first row on a first side of the first circuit board.

Example 66: A closure as described in Example 65, wherein the LED comprises a side-emitting LED.

Example 67: A closure as described in Example 65, wherein the LED comprises a top-emitting LED.

Example 68: A closure according to any of Examples 65 to 67, wherein the first circuit board comprises a flexible circuit board.

Example 69: A closure as described in any of Examples 65 to 67, wherein the first circuit board includes a rigid circuit board.

Example 70: The closure of any of Examples 65 to 69, wherein at least two of the LEDs are mounted to a first side of a second circuit board, further comprising an interconnect electrically coupling the second side of the first circuit board and the second side of the second circuit board, and the first side of the first circuit board and the first side of the second circuit board face the second side of the first circuit board and the second side of the second circuit board.

Example 71: A closure according to any of Examples 65 to 70, further comprising a light guide disposed within the gap.

Example 72: The closure of example 71, wherein the LED comprises:
a first set of LEDs proximate a first side of the light guide;
a second set of LEDs proximate a second side of the light guide opposite the first side, the second set of LEDs being mounted in a second row on the first side of a second circuit board;
Contains closures.

Example 73: The closure of Example 72, further comprising a first dowel pin extending from the frame through the first circuit board and abutting the first side of the light conductor, and a second dowel pin extending from the frame through the second circuit board and abutting the second side of the light conductor.

Example 74: A closure as described in any of Examples 71 to 73, wherein the light guide has a first major surface and a second major surface, and the first major surface has a first surface treatment.

Example 75: The closure of Example 74, wherein the first surface treatment includes a first major surface that is a first polished surface.

Example 76: A closure as described in Example 74 or 75, wherein the second major surface has a second surface treatment different from the first surface treatment.

Example 77: A closure as described in Example 76, wherein the second surface treatment includes a second major surface that is a glossy surface.

Example 78: A closure as described in Example 74 or 75, wherein the second major surface has a second surface treatment, the second surface treatment including a second major surface that is a second polished surface.

Example 79: The closure of Example 74, wherein the first surface treatment includes a light extraction feature for the first major surface.

Example 80: The closure of Example 79, wherein the light extraction mechanism includes dots formed on the first major surface.

Example 81: The closure of example 80, wherein the dots have different sizes and further include a first gradient in dot size extending between an edge of the first major surface and a center of the first major surface.

Example 82: The closure of Example 81, further comprising at least one second gradient of dot size oriented in a direction different from the direction of the first gradient of dot size.

Example 83: A closure according to any of Examples 74 to 82, wherein the diffuser is positioned at a distance of greater than about 10 mm from the second major surface of the light guide.

Example 84: A closure according to any of Examples 74 to 82, wherein the diffuser is positioned at a distance of less than about 23 mm from the second major surface of the light guide.

Example 85: A closure according to any one of Examples 63 to 84, having a U-shape.

As used throughout this specification, the terms "substantially" and "about" are used to describe and account for minor variations, such as variability in processing. For example, they can refer to ±5% or less, such as ±2% or less, such as ±1% or less, such as ±0.5% or less, such as ±0.2% or less, such as ±0.1% or less, such as ±0.05% or less. Also, as used herein, indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" mean "at least one."

It should be understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts, and further concepts discussed in more detail below, are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent). In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein.

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In addition, the logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desired results. In addition, other steps can be provided or removed from the described flows, and other components can be added to or removed from the described systems. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

While certain features of the described implementations have been illustrated as described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art. It should therefore be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the scope of the implementations. These are presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation, and it should be understood that various changes in form and details may be made. Any portion of the apparatus and/or methods described herein may be combined in any combination, except in mutually exclusive combinations. The implementations described herein may include various combinations and/or subcombinations of the functions, components, and/or features of the different implementations described.

Claims (20)

1. A closure for a housing of a sequencer device, the housing providing access to an internal mechanism of the sequencer device through an opening in the housing, the closure comprising:
a frame for selective movement along a single axis relative to the apparatus for selectively moving between a closed position blocking access to the internal mechanisms through the opening and an open position providing access to the internal mechanisms of the apparatus through the opening, the selective movement including movement of a closure between an inner wall of the sequencer apparatus and an outer wall of the sequencer apparatus, wherein in the open position at least a portion of the closure is recessed between the inner and outer walls;
a plurality of light sources supported by the frame and configured to emit light ;
a reflector supported by the frame and configured to reflect light emitted from the plurality of light sources ;
a diffuser supported by the frame and configured to receive reflected light and configured to diffuse the received reflected light (i) during movement of the closure from a closed position to the open position and (ii) when the closure is in the closed position;
a controller configured to control the plurality of light sources, the diffused light indicating a state of an operational characteristic of the internal mechanism of the device; and
A closure comprising: The closure of claim 1, having a U-shape. The closure of claim 2, wherein the closure comprises a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the first portion being connected to the second portion and perpendicular to the second portion, and the second portion being connected to the third portion and perpendicular to the third portion. 4. The closure of claim 3, wherein the second portion is configured to be disposed in front of the sequencer device and the first and third portions are configured to be disposed on opposing sides of the sequencer device. 10. The closure of claim 1, further comprising a light guide , the diffuser supported by the frame relative to the reflector such that a gap exists between the diffuser and the reflector, the closure being disposed in the gap. The closure of claim 5, wherein the light guide has a first major surface opposite a second major surface. The closure of claim 6, wherein the first major surface is a first polished surface. The closure of claim 7, wherein the second major surface is a glossy surface. The closure of claim 7, wherein the second major surface is a second polished surface. The closure of claim 6, wherein the first major surface is a light extraction surface. The closure of claim 10, wherein the distance between the light extraction surface and the front surface of the diffuser is selected such that the coefficient of variation of the light distributed by the diffuser is less than 9%. The closure of claim 10 , wherein in the closed position, the closure abuts a seal of a sequencer device . The closure of claim 6, further comprising a first gradient in dot size extending between an edge of the first major surface and a center of the first major surface. The closure of claim 13, further comprising at least one second gradient of dot size oriented in a direction different from the direction of the first gradient of dot size. The closure of claim 5, wherein each of the frame, diffuser and light guide has a U-shape, and the frame, diffuser and light guide are stacked together with one another. 6. The closure of claim 5, wherein the plurality of light sources include light emitting diodes (LEDs), and at least two of the LEDs are mounted in a first row on a first side of a first circuit board. The LED is
a first plurality of LEDs proximate a first side of the light guide;
a second plurality of LEDs proximate a second side of the light guide opposite the first side;
17. The closure of claim 16, wherein the second plurality of LEDs are mounted in a second row on a first side of a second circuit board. The closure of claim 17, further comprising a first dowel pin extending from the frame through the first circuit board and abutting the first side of the light conductor, and a second dowel pin extending from the frame through the second circuit board and abutting the second side of the light conductor. 10. The closure of claim 1, wherein the internal mechanism of the sequencer device is a sample receptacle for a sequencer for analysis of nuclear material in a sample. A motor;
10. The closure of claim 1, further comprising: a lift assembly comprising : a lift mount coupled to the motor and the closure and configured to translate the closure along a single axis.

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